The Darkness Within
by Lord Siravant
Summary: After being defeated by Ganon, Vaati winds up in Jump City, most of his powers gone. The Teen Titans take him in, and Vaati finds a kindred spirit in Raven. But someone has followed Vaati to this world: the Nightmare Dethl. Can it be stopped? RaeVaati R
1. Prologue: Duel of Darkness

**Prologue: Duel of Darkness**

Vaati the Wind Mage was beyond furious. Not only had Vaati been defeated by Link yet again, they had both discovered that the events had once more been orchestrated by Ganondorf, who no longer saw the Wind Mage as useful in his plot. And so, Vaati was left abandoned in a corner of the room in which the Hero of Time and the King of Evil sparred. He had long since abandoned his appearance as a demonic eye with bat wings, and his Hylian form was visibly battered. His lavender tunic was now mostly red, stained with his blood. His violet cape was torn in several places, and his pale face was also bloodied. His lavender hair was matted with his blood as it trailed out of the purple cap he had on his head. With all the remaining strength the Wind Mage could muster, he brushed aside his hair and glared at the two people he hated most in this world.

He hated Link for all the times his ancestors were always able to defeat him every time he rose to power. And he hated Ganondorf because of how the Gerudo King had had the audacity to manipulate _him _of all people for his own gain as if he were a mere pawn. And he knew that was what Ganondorf thought of him as: a pawn, easily disposable, easily replaced.

His red eyes fell on Link. A flash of hatred sprang in those eyes, but also a hint of respect and admiration. As he watched the boy duel Ganondorf in their heated swordfight, he could see how Link was always able to defeat him. He was so fluid in his movements. Nimble, quick, always moving, always dodging. He could tell Link was concentrating on finding a weakness, a chink in Ganondorf's armor. He had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he found it. He always did. Vaati began using this time to heal himself.

Suddenly Link jabbed, but Ganondorf saw it coming and sidestepped. Ganon brought his sword down on Link's and forced it out of his hands. He then backhanded Link, launching him to the other side of the field, where he lay stunned. As Ganondorf was making for Link, Vaati, now almost fully healed, rose to his feet and cried, "He is MINE to kill!"

As these words came, a powerful blast of wind issued forth from his hands, catching the King of Darkness off guard. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to knock him off his feet. As Ganon regained his footing, he turned towards Vaati. The smirk on his face made the former Minish shudder. "Good," he drawled. "I had almost forgotten you were there, Wind Mage. Thank you for reminding me. I think I'll deal with you now, so you can't try that again."

As the two Plagues of Hyrule squared off, a figure watched from a vantage point in the arena. Of course this was technically in plain sight, but the dark creature had the ability to shift between planes of existence. Being the Demon Lord of Nightmares gave it that advantage. However, it was weak, and it knew this. It needed power to feed on, dreams, memories, nightmares…

The Hero of Time was out of the question. He would soon be dispatched, and that would not give it enough to draw from his power. However, it could sense some internal turmoil within the younger, purple-clad combatant who had boldly challenged the Gerudo King. Memories, painful memories long suppressed by a desire for power…

_Yes, _it thought to itself as it watched the battle unfold. _This we can work with! But we must ensure that our new host is not destroyed by this meddling old man._

It knew intervening at this moment would be unwise, given the level of power boiling within Ganon and Vaati. It would wait until the King of Darkness had weakened him, for it already knew who was the stronger.

Vaati used a wind spell to bring his sword back to him, and he held it at the ready as his opponent sized him up. Vaati knew Ganondorf was a powerful man, but Vaati was confident in his abilities. Hadn't the magical cap he had stolen from his old master granted his wish to become the most powerful sorcerer alive? Vaati did not have time to contemplate this matter, for Ganondorf had made the first move, charging forward with his blade in both hands.

Vaati jumped aside, and Ganondorf's attack missed wide. Vaati tried to cut off his arm, but Ganondorf used his free hand to blow Vaati back with a dark force. Vaati recovered and empowered his blade and his sword arm with the power of wind. The red eye-shaped jewel on the pommel sparkled in a devious light, the reflections from the jewel bathing the mage's hand in a blood-red glow. His eyes, which were also red, locked onto the yellow irises of Ganondorf. "You're slow, old man," Vaati stated in an arrogant manner. "I would have thought the Triforce of Power would be wielded more effectively in the hands of someone like you."

"Heh heh, impudent worm, your arrogance blinds you. I was merely testing your skills with the most basic attack. To tell you the truth, you cannot kill me, Sorcerer of Winds. I can toy with you all I want."

His statement alarmed Vaati. "And why would that be?"

Ganondorf's smile darkened. "Because, you do not have the Master Sword."

The man took a step forward, not even bothering to attack. Vaati thrust his sword deep into Ganondorf's torso, but all this did was make him chuckle. "I warned you."

Vaati, shocked, retracted his sword, unnerved by the fact that there was no blood trickling down the length of the blade, almost as if it had stabbed a phantom. Vaati then instinctively went for Ganon's head, and was astonished by what occurred next. Ganondorf caught the blade in the palm of his hand and wrenched it out of his grasp.

Vaati's eyes widened as the Dark Lord cast the sword aside like a piece of driftwood with an amused expression on his face. Now there was only one way he could tip the balance at this point. With a grimace, Vaati sprang forward faster than Ganondorf could react. As he pushed him closer to the wall, the mage's body changed dramatically. No longer was he the seductive Hylian sorcerer. Here in his place was a most grotesque abomination: a massive black orb with two black horns and numerous bat wings along its sides and arms. But the most distinguishing feature was the single red eye, burning with malice and a hint of fear at the man it was attacking. Finally Vaati reached the other side, pinning Ganondorf against the wall. The monster then squeezed, attempting to crush the life out of the Wielder of the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf's breathing became ragged, but he was still smiling confidently.

_Why the hell is that smile still on his face? _Vaati pondered nervously.

Ganondorf answered for him. "So, you think resorting to your demon form will win this battle for you. However, you forget that I have one as well."

Vaati's eye widened as the sudden reality gripped him. Suddenly Ganondorf began growing in his grasp. His skin had taken on a more bluish pigment, his muscles were growing larger, and his face was taking on a more porcine characteristic. The smug grin, though, remained on his pig-like face. His growth forced Vaati's hold of him apart as his full stature was now equal to the flying eye. Both glared menacingly at each other before grappling. The two beasts came to a standstill in the middle of the field, their strength seemingly equal. Confident that Ganon's hands were occupied, Vaati's eye flashed, and the King of Darkness was blasted in the face by Vaati's most powerful attack.

The blue pig fell to the floor in a daze, and Vaati fell upon him, his sharper claws latching hold of Ganon's arms and snapping them shut, drawing blood. Ganon snarled angrily and kicked Vaati back with his hooves. As the demon eye shook itself, Ganon got to his feet and tackled the creature. The wings kept Vaati in the air as he fought against Ganon's hold. Vaati managed to jab Ganon's midsection with his claws, drawing more blood, but Ganon retaliated by ripping a tear in one of Vaati's wings. Both feeling the pain, they backed off to catch their breath, never taking their eyes off each other.

It was at this time that Link had awakened. As he looked up, he saw Vaati and Ganon in their demon forms staring at each other while breathing heavily. From the amount of rubble around the arena and the number of wounds present on each creature's body, Link surmised that these two had been in the middle of an epic battle while he was out. A part of him actually hoped that this fight wasn't over, because it might be fun to watch. Luckily for him, it wasn't finished.

Ganon had taken this moment to summon up a massive white trident and hold it in an offensive position, while Vaati's other hand reformed into a wing momentarily before it regrew again, this time an arm with an attached blade resembling a bat's wing. Also, a number of stone eyes appeared and circled around the Sorcerer of Winds, all gazing at Ganon. "Impressive," Ganon commended.

Ganon then let loose a stream of magic blasts with his trident, and the eyes responded by producing laser beams which effectively snuffed out the balls of energy. Ganon narrowed his eyes, thinking of his options. He knew the eyes were a defense unit for him, but taking them out would probably amount to little, because Vaati could always just reform them. The pig growled and released a barrage of electric beams, which managed to take out several eyes, but several other eyes were able to negate the beams with their own. Ganon then tried to skewer the mighty eye, but Vaati parried with his peculiar blade, allowing a pair of eyes to target Ganon's arm. Small but intense beams of light issued forth from their stony pupils, searing Ganon's arm. He howled in agony and swatted the devices out of the sky like flies. Then he grabbed Vaati's sword arm, attempting to break it. The three remaining eyes constantly spat lasers at him, burning into his flesh, but he ignored the pain. Vaati managed to close his claws around Ganon's free hand and squeezed as hard as he could, adding to Ganon's pain. But this was the pain that gave the beast the burst of energy required to snap Vaati's arm, rendering it useless.

Vaati snarled in pain, weakening his hold on Ganon's other arm. Utilizing this, Ganon lashed out and impaled him in the side with his trident, and then channeling dark energy into it, further adding to the pain. The eye collapsed on the ground and slowly morphed back into his Hylian self. Vaati was now covered in even more of his blood, and he found he didn't have the strength to lift himself off the ground. Ganon had reverted back to his Gerudo self as well, his armor mottled with his blood in several places. Ganondorf strode up to the defeated Wind Mage and kneeled down so that his words could only be heard by Vaati.

"Truly commendable, Vaati. You were more of a worthy adversary than I had anticipated. Some of your attacks I have never witnessed."

Vaati choked over his words. "Well, I've never had to face someone so like me. Monster vs. Man…and Monster…vs. Monster…are two different things."

"Well, I cannot truly kill you as you are because of your connection with the Four Sword. So I will have to remove that connection."

Vaati, even in his weak state, felt puzzled by this. Suddenly, the spell hit him, and he knew exactly what it had done.

He could not change his form anymore.

"N…No…" he breathed, despair and fright taking ahold of him.

"And with that, Wind Sorcerer, you shall die."

_We must act now! _the nightmare being hissed to itself, finally deciding to step out of its hidden portal in a gaseous black cloud. It reached Vaati right before the spell hit, and as it did, a portal was erected at that moment. The energy struck the portal as the unknown being forced Vaati into it, and the creature knew it would have consequences in the near future. The portal could take them anywhere now. _No matter. He will serve our purpose. Wherever we go, we will use him to let the world know that we, the Nightmare Dethl, shall soon envelop them in ceaseless nightmares!_

Ganondorf was confused. His spell should have killed Vaati, but it wasn't supposed to disintegrate him. But he never got a chance to ponder this strange event, for the Master Sword was inching its way out of his chest.

He had completely forgotten about Link, of all people.

The King of Evil was defeated again. And now Link would also share the news that Vaati had also fallen by Ganon's hands.

However, this was not the fate of the Wind Mage. This was just the beginning of this tale.


	2. Jump City

**Chapter One: Jump City**

By the time the portal opened up, Dethl had already fully inserted itself into Vaati's mind. Now it would feed off of the nightmares and bad memories that Vaati's weakened mind had to offer. It did not bother to look at the new world surrounding them. Vaati didn't either, but this was due to the fact that he felt so weak from the loss of blood from his battle with Ganon. In fact, he could barely contemplate what had managed to bring him to another place. As his vision darkened, he could barely make out five strangely-dressed figures rushing towards him.

And then Vaati's world went black.

The Teen Titans had been in the middle of returning home from a trip to the pizza parlor of Jump City, but a very bright flash of light had waylaid them. When they saw the young man clad in bloody clothes that appeared to have once been purple lying on the sidewalk, they had immediately stopped the car and rushed over to help him. But he had passed out before they could reach him.

A young man dressed in a green, orange, yellow, and red jumpsuit with a black cape and a mask covering his eyes looked at the mysterious figure and turned to a pale-skinned girl hovering in the air, also staring at him intently. "Can you heal him a bit, Raven?"

"Yeah, but we should get him to the Tower," she replied, deadpan.

"Look at those ears of his," a cybernetic teenager said, a look of worry on what was left of his organic face. "And his skin's as pale as Raven's. Come to think of it, he doesn't that much different from you, Rae. Except for, you know, the hair, and the…hat…"

He faltered as he saw Raven glaring at him. "Guess that means he ain't human, then," a green-skinned boy surmised.

"Why are we just standing here?" a girl with red hair and fiery green eyes said. "We must get him to Titan Tower!"

"Right!" responded the caped teenager. "Rae, close his wounds if you can. He's lost a lot of blood as it is."

Raven nodded and knelt over by him, quietly chanting her mantra as they looked on. Little did she know the implications of what she was doing.

_This child…_ Dethl pondered excitedly as it sensed Raven's presence. _She harbors many terrible memories. Suppressed emotions…anger…grief…hatred…heh…heh heh…heh heh heh heh! She is the one who will be crucial to our plan!_

But Dethl planned on waiting first. It would wait until she was asleep, and then it would leave Vaati behind and invade her dreams and feed off her nightmares.

It had been several hours since the Titans had taken the mysterious stranger to the Titan's Tower. Raven had been working on his injuries, pausing every so often to retire to her room and meditate to regain her strength. All the while the others were keeping watch over the man as he lay unconscious on the couch. They did not remove his bloody clothing, having a hunch that whoever this was would probably not like having his normal attire changed so suddenly.

One particular topic about him was his uncanny resemblance to Raven. They both had pale skin and had a taste for purple clothes and capes. The red-haired girl known as Starfire had earlier expressed curiosity about the black T-like markings on his cheeks. Robin had thought it best to let the man rest before they started bombarding him with questions. Cyborg had made a few comments about how the man looked feminine due to his long hair. It was a while before Raven was done healing his injuries, and it took even longer for the man to finally awaken.

"Nnngnnhh…W…Where am I?" the man asked, rubbing his forehead.

"You are with friends," Starfire answered in excitement. "I am Starfire! This is Friend Cyborg, Friend Robin, and Friend Beast Boy."

"Friend…_what_?" the man apparently didn't like the word 'friend' very much, and they could tell Starfire's overly cheerful attitude already irked him. He also seemed to be astonished by their names, if not by their appearances.

"We saw you come out of a flash of light," Robin explained. "You were pretty beat up. You can thank Raven for healing your injuries, but your clothes are still…"

He was interrupted as the man's eyes widened as he cried, "Ganon! That bastard! He sent me here! He must have!"

The man tried to get up, but he still felt somewhat weak from his climactic fight with the King of Evil. "What is your name, friend?" Starfire asked innocently.

They thought for a moment that he might not answer, but finally he said, "I am Vaati, Sorcerer of Winds. Or, at least I was, before Ganon took my powers after he had bested me in a fight against him."

Vaati stared at his hands, and the Titans could tell he wasn't over the loss of his so-called powers yet. Finally he clenched his fists and said, "Now, the answer to my first question…where the hell am I?"

"You're in Jump City," Beast Boy answered. "Where did you come from?"

The man scrutinized each and every one of them with his disconcertingly red eyes before he answered, "I am from a land called Hyrule. I assume you've heard of it?"

Their blank stares seemed to confirm what he was dreading. "I see. So I'm in another world, with no way of getting back. Damn you, Ganon. DAMN YOU!"

The man angrily made a gesture with his hand, and the Titans felt a burst of wind issue from his fingertips. While not very strong, it was enough to tip over a pottery plant on the other side of the lounge. The crash made them wince. The man known as Vaati threw down his hands and growled, "My powers are weak. I can barely control the winds now…I am nothing…"

The way Vaati said those last words almost resembled the tone of one delivering the news of someone's death. His loss of power apparently had hit him hard. Vaati slid down on the sofa. "My power…gone…What am I now?" he said to himself. "I'm nothing…I am as weak and inferior as I was when I was with Ezlo…Damn you, old man…Damn you, Link…Damn you, Ganon. DAMN YOU ALL!"

And Vaati did something completely out of character for him; he broke down and cried.

Robin and the others had patiently waited for Vaati to regain his composure before they continued their questioning, but he would have none of it. He asked for his clothes to be washed, and himself as well. They figured it was because he had no knowledge of showers. Starfire directed him to the showers and told him how they worked, and Vaati assured her he would be able to operate it. And so she left him to sulk in silence under the showerhead's warm water as his clothes were washed elsewhere.

When his clothes were cleaned, Robin brought them to Vaati, who quietly accepted them while hiding behind the door that offered him a sense of privacy. Not long afterward, the former Wind Mage slowly stepped out of the bathroom, his garments in all their purple glory. But the man hardly felt any glory. He had hardly felt anything since he had recovered from his injuries. His powers had been a part of him, and he felt hollow without them.

Robin could understand how Vaati felt. It was always hard for someone accustomed to the abilities they had all their lives to have them robbed one day. He also had a feeling this man had a dark past that had led to his demeanor. His violent show of anger, though not very dangerous, sent a statement that this man had probably not been very well liked in the land where he came from. But he was no longer in his world, and his power over the wind had significantly decreased, but this seemed to have broken him somehow. That ambitious fire in his eyes had died out when he had realized what had been done to him.

By this time, Raven had come out of her room. When she saw Vaati, they both stopped. Purple eyes stared into red ones. Each could feel a great power in the other…a demonic power. These powers were both chained, although Vaati's demon form was literally trapped in spell-binding chains, hers were chains of discipline. Studying her carefully, her graceful curves, her brooding eyes, he felt a small pang of desire, but he suppressed it. Such attachment was unbecoming of the Wind Mage Vaati. True, he had captured many maidens in his lifetime, but that was because they had served their purpose in spreading his power over the land.

They were also seeing how their clothes were so…similar. Even though Raven had a hood and was dressed in a more seductive tightfitting one-piece jumpsuit, her cape and Vaati's cape were unnaturally identical, as was their affinity to the purple color scheme.

Finally they broke their gazes and turned away to do their separate things. Vaati simply sat down on the couch in the lounge and closed his eyes, while Raven sat over at the dinner table as the Titans prepared for dinner. Tonight was pizza night. As everyone was sitting down, Starfire noticed that Vaati had not joined them. "Wait," she said, looking around. "Where is Friend Vaati?"

"If you enjoy life, you will _never _call me that again," Vaati answered irritably from the couch. "I am in the middle of meditating. I do not need you to try and engage me in idle chatter. I am not in the mood for it."

"Dude, we're eating dinner," Beast Boy answered, a little irritated at Vaati's unbecoming attitude.

"I am not hungry," Vaati said simply, and was then quiet as he returned to meditating.

Everyone looked uncomfortably at each other, and then at the meditating Vaati. "You should really eat something," Starfire admonished. "You have endured many troubles at the hands of whoever Ganon is. It will help recover your strength."

Vaati tried to ignore her, but then his stomach made an awful churning noise that unfortunately he could not ignore. He tried several times, but his concentration always broke as his empty stomach gurgled, begging for sustenance. Vaati opened his eyes and saw that his hosts were all looking at him.

"Very well. I will join you."

Everyone seemed to be enlightened at this. As Vaati approached the table, he wondered why these people would be so kind to him, even after the things he had done in Hyrule. But then again, this wasn't Hyrule. They didn't know. They didn't need to know. As he made himself comfortable, he eyed the strange triangular food on his plate. He grimaced. "What in Din's name is this?"

"Pizza," Beast Boy answered. "Don't they have pizza in Hay-rule?"

"It's_ Hyrule_, you green-skinned twit. And no, we do not. And that does not answer my question. _What_ is it?"

Beast Boy was a little miffed that this purple guy was just as snarky as his well-known counterpart. Cyborg answered Vaati's question. "Well, it's dough flattened into a circle, covered with tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever meats or vegetables you want on there."

"…I see. This does not help me much, but it's better than nothing, I suppose." He glanced up at Robin, his voice a very severe one. "You didn't poison it, did you?"

"No! Why would we want to do that?"

"You've no idea how many times I have been told that, and yet one of my samplers falls down dead after tasting my meal."

"So, were you, like, some kind of big-shot lord in your world?"

Vaati smirked slightly. "In a certain retrospect, yes."

Beast Boy raised his eyebrows, now realizing why this man seemed to be so demanding. He was used to telling people what to do, and he had had the power to convince them to do that. But now that he was without these powers, he was out of his element.

Then Raven's question cut through Vaati like a knife. "You were a villain in your world, weren't you?"

Vaati closed his eyes as everyone turned to him, waiting for an answer. "Yes…I was. But I was not nearly half as bad as Ganon was. I managed to rise to power four times, although twice it was because of Ganon's wicked manipulations, where he used me to distract the hero while he formulated his own plans, knowing I would lose. Ganon has risen from the jaws of death at least a dozen times I can remember, and each time, many people died and much of the world was covered in darkness. I was never like that. The cruelest thing I did was turn a few people into statues and kidnap a few maidens. My monsters simply harassed citizens. His outright raped, tortured, and murdered them. Ganon is more evil than I will ever be…more than I ever want to be."

The Titans looked at each other as Vaati continued his story. "I was always attracted by the evil in men's hearts, how it could allow them to gain so much power over their enemies and victims…But I knew that every power has its limitations…or is supposed to. Ganon's hatred and cruelty knew no limits. He was driven by vengeance and a thirst for power, but it drove him mad. In the end, it simply amounted to him trying to beat the hero for the sake of beating the hero more than taking over the world. Hyrule was always in a decrepit state. Its entire army couldn't hold back a small platoon of the most dim-witted of all Moblins if their lives depended on it, which in most cases it did. I thought I could change all that. Of course I changed the castle infrastructure and filled it full of monsters to keep the curious from entering. I graciously did not attack Hyrule Town, nor did I ever plan to, though they always expected it.

"I truly thought that, given enough time, I could rebuild Hyrule into the glorious and proud nation it once was, but nooooo, some meddling little hero dressed in green had the gall to call me a _monster_? And he stopped me in the name of "good?" The princess of Hyrule wouldn't have been a total loss. She just would have been reborn sometime later just like the hero. It was just like what one great king of Hyrule once said, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Stupid elitist Triforce wielders. And because of that, I became exactly like them. I'm not proud of it, either."

"Wow, that one king must've been a big fan of Star Trek," Beast Boy mused.

"What?"

"Never mind."

Vaati sighed. This boy was starting to get under his skin. It took a minute for him to realize just how much he had vented to them about his previous actions. Right now, he didn't want to see their faces, so he simply looked down at his plate and sampled the food dish these people called 'pizza.' He was surprised by how good it tasted. Quickly he chewed down more, savoring every bite. The others could tell that Vaati at least liked pizza.

Some time after dinner, everyone decided to turn in for the night. Vaati was given a spare blanket and pillow so he could sleep more comfortably on the couch. After everyone else was gone, he kicked off his red sandals and removed his cap, a perfect replica of his former master's wishing cap, and set them down on the other couch before returning to his spot and lying down. Pulling the cover over him, he tried to fall asleep, but at first it wouldn't come to him. Vaati twirled his finger absentmindedly, forming a tiny cyclone in the air which danced on the palm of his hand.

_At least I can still control a small amount of the wind's power, _he thought to himself as his eyelids drooped. The cyclone dissipated as Vaati fell asleep, weary of his first day in Jump City and the house of these strange, rather eccentric people.


	3. The Nightmare Begins

**Chapter Two: The Nightmare Begins**

_Ah, good, the Wind Mage fell asleep at last! We were growing tired of waiting. Now we can enter the mind of the being known as Raven. Her demonic side shall prove to be most useful for us! Hee hee hee!_

Slowly, quietly, a black mist trailed out of Vaati's head and gradually began to form into a pure-black being with smoldering-yellow eyes that were the only discernible features on it. The shape was meant to mimic Ganon's, and so it had an almost porcine shape to it. Not to mention it carried a staff weapon of its own just like Ganon did, but Dethl had tweaked it to suit his own purpose. It was as black as Dethl's body, and it had axe heads coming out of the top and bottom of the pole. Also, each axe head had a spike at the tip like a halberd. The creature levitated down the hallways, searching for Raven's room. Finally it found the place, for it could sense Raven's sleeping body on the other side of that door.

Dethl once again converted to a mist form and silently slid underneath the door. Once on the other side, the mist slowly crept up on Raven like the messenger of death himself. Slowly, but surely, Dethl began to coil its way into Raven's subconscious, soon to plunge her into a world of darkness.

The world of the Nightmare.

Raven suddenly found herself standing in a never-ending chamber with grey lines protruding from the darkness that threatened to consume all the world. Raven tried to fly away, but she could not escape, for no matter where she went, the scenery didn't change. But eventually something did happen. A booming voice dripping with menace hissed, _Greetings, Raven, Daughter of Trigon. Welcome to the world of the Nightmare._

"Trigon is not my father," Raven answered back, trying to hide her fear as she tried to find the source of the voice.

_It is a blood tie that you cannot deny…_the voice responded. _You will always have ties to him through blood…just like you have ties with us. _

A form shimmered into view before her. She could barely make out the creature, for it was pure black, but she could tell it was carrying a weapon of some kind with it. _Our name is Dethl, _it said. _We are the remnants of Nightmare, we feast on your fear and the memories you have tried to suppress for so many years._

"How do you have ties to me?" Raven questioned, trying to get a better look at Dethl.

_We are a demon. All pureblooded demons originated in the same dark void. Time and space matter not to us. We go to any world we choose, though some ignore the ones too heavily populated with superheroes. We think otherwise of your world. We are aware of the magnitude of your power, what it can do, what you have seen it do._

Dethl began to pace, its weapon held at its side. _Do you remember the day your dreams became a reality, and you invoked your power to banish them?_

"Not really something I'll forget," Raven answered dryly.

_We require you to use that power again. But instead of the nightmares being fuelled by your mind, they will be fuelled by our power! We will use them to cover the world in eternal nightmares!_

"I won't let you," Raven answered, glaring at the creature called Dethl. "_Azarath Metrion Zinthos_!"

She used all her power to destroy this creature, but her efforts were in vain. Her power wasn't working. Dethl took a step forward as it said, _Foolish half-breed. You cannot harm us here. This is where we are GOD! You will cooperate with us, or you will suffer greatly! Let this be your first warning_!

Before she knew what was happening, the demon had impaled her in the stomach with its spear. The pain was beyond excruciating.

And when she woke up, the pain was still there, a horrible throbbing where she had been skewered by Dethl's ghastly weapon. She could not stop the scream of terror and pain that escaped from her lips, jolting everyone awake.

And she knew this was only the beginning of the Nightmare.


	4. Dethl's Curse

**Chapter Three: Dethl's Curse**

The other Teen Titanshad rushed over to Raven's quarters as quickly as they could, while Vaati had irritably put his pillow over his ears to drown out the noise. He didn't look up to see who was screaming for a while, but when he heard Robin yell, "Raven!" he decided to get himself up. Why? He did not know. Maybe it was curiosity.

When Robin burst through her door, they found her on the floor, doubled over in pain. Apparently the pain was so intense that she had been crying, and she was gasping desperately for breath. "Raven!" Robin cried, rushing to her side. "What happened? What's wrong?"

As Vaati was nearing the room, he suddenly stopped. He felt a nagging sensation in the back of his head. Something wasn't right. He could feel an odd presence in the room, something much more menacing than what he had seen from these 'Teen Titans.' He quickened his pace and entered Raven's room. Everyone was gathering around Raven, who had managed to get herself into a sitting position by her bed, but she was still clutching her stomach in agony.

Vaati could now feel a very threatening presence residing in her body, something very foreign, and very dangerous. If he could sense it in his weakened state, it had to be very powerful. "Make way, all of you," he ordered, jostling through the other Titans until he had reached Raven's side. As he kneeled, he glanced at Robin and said, "Let me take a look at her."

Robin nodded his head and watched Vaati ask her, "What did you see? What was in your dreams?"

Raven's glistening eyes looked up at the Wind Mage. "D…Dethl…" she managed to choke over her words. "It called itself Dethl…It…said it…was feeding on…my nightmares…and my memories…"

"I see," Vaati said, almost to himself. This was sounding disturbingly like someone had attempted to possess her, but feeding off of dreams and nightmares were something he had never heard of in the case of possessions. "Where does it hurt?"

"Where…does it…look like?" Raven spat.

Vaati just raised an eyebrow and said, "Allow me to touch it. Even in my current state, if I touch a part of your body that has been affected by a spiritual possession, I can sense what it is we are dealing with exactly."

"J…just do it."

Vaati nodded and put his hand on her stomach. Immediately he heard the words, _FEAR US!_ He did not remember what happened next, for he suddenly blacked out.

When next he awoke, he discovered himself in the hallway slumped against the wall facing Raven's door. Beast Boy and Starfire were standing over him. "Dude, are you all right?" Beast Boy asked.

"…What the hell happened?" Vaati growled.

"Right when you touched Raven," Starfire answered, "You flew into the wall outside as if you had been pulled by an invisible string."

Vaati shook his head and lifted himself to his feet. "I believe she has been invaded in her subconscious by some sort of demon. Before I blacked out, I remember it saying 'fear us.' Demons as far as I know tend to refer to themselves in the plural sense."

"Are you saying a demon followed you to our world?" Starfire asked.

"I don't see how, but Raven said it called itself Dethl. The name sounds vaguely familiar. Probably something I read in the libraries back on my world."

Vaati looked at Raven, who had removed the part of the jumpsuit around her midsection, allowing the wound to be seen. It appeared to be a bruise of some kind, and yet it couldn't have been, because it was moving, but it also seemed to be shrinking. "What did it want?" Vaati continued his questioning.

Raven's strength was slowly returning, allowing her to speak more easily. "It wanted to use my powers to unleash demons from my nightmares all over the world. It said something about wanting a world of endless nightmares. And…and then it stabbed me."

"That explains the wound," Vaati reasoned. "I think I know something about it."

"Tell us!" Cyborg cried desperately.

"I believe I read about it in Hyrule Town Library. Dethl was the driving force behind a creature called the Nightmare. It forced a sky spirit to fall into a deep sleep so it could consume the dream world of Kolohint in endless nightmares. It was confronted by one of the Hyrulean hero's ancestors, and the Nightmare transformed into different manifestations of the hero's past enemies, drawing power from his memories. He, being the hero he was, managed to defeat it. It was unknown, however, whether it had been completely destroyed, considering it was a creature born of a sky spirit's nightmares. Apparently, it hasn't. But why it's chosen to resurface here and now is beyond me."

Starfire bowed her head. "Why do bad people always try to take advantage of Friend Raven?"

"You mean things like this have happened before?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy responded sadly. "Her powers attract a lot of attention from our enemies."

Vaati knew the feeling. After all, he had often been taken advantage of in his life. Ganondorf was a particularly nasty example, but there were others, too. Others from a life Vaati had always tried to forget. Vaati shook his head, trying to put those memories out of his mind. "I suggest… someone watch her. Dethl might try to do this again."

With that, Vaati turned around and left to go back to his bed. Raven looked at her friends and said, "I don't need anyone to watch me. I'll just…I'll just meditate."

"Are you sure?" Robin asked. "Because I can stay outside if…"

"No, I'm fine. The pain's almost gone."

Robin hesitated, and then nodded his head, respecting her wish. He stood up and left, closing the door behind him before returning to his bedroom, telling everyone else to do the same.

Raven dimmed her lights and began to meditate, chanting her mantra as she floated above the floor. As she slipped further into her subconscious, she heard Dethl's voice in the deep recesses of her mind. _Our time is coming. You cannot stop it. It is only a matter of time…_


	5. Vaati's Dream

**Chapter Four: Vaati's Dream**

Vaati twisted in his bed, his subconscious mind running wild. For the first time in a long time, his memories were coming back to haunt him.

_It began with his life as a young Minish. From the time he had been born, he had looked different from the other Minish children. To them, he was a monster, his red eyes always scaring them. His father had died before he was born, and his mother had died giving birth to him. Vaati had been forced to live in a decrepit orphanage, where he was constantly picked on. But he was the brightest out of all of them. He always spent his time reading, becoming familiar with the Hylian tongue and dialect._

_It paid off the day Master Ezlo, the famous sage and philosopher, had come to the orphanage seeking an apprentice. As soon as the old Picori had entered, all the other children had gathered around him, begging him to be his next choice. Vaati, however, did not believe he was good enough to enter the tutelage of Ezlo, so he sat in a corner and read a book about magicians in Hyrule._

_While the sage had at first found it difficult to make a choice, he suddenly noticed the little boy in the corner, reading a book that seemed advanced for his age. He looked much more different than the other children. His skin was pale, his eyes red, and his hair purple. But he seemed like the kind of child who was eager to learn. Ezlo knew then and there that Vaati was the one he wanted._

_Vaati had been astonished that the great Ezlo would choose someone like him to be his apprentice, but Vaati accepted the offer, wanting to leave the orphanage and the mean-spirited children behind. Vaati remembered the excitement he felt as he was leaving with Ezlo. He was going to finally learn magic!_

_But it was not what Vaati had expected. Of course the sage had told Vaati about the different properties of magic and allowed the boy to read the many books concerning magic spells, but he didn't allow Vaati to attempt to use them. He kept saying that Vaati wasn't ready, that if a spell went wrong, it could kill him. Vaati was embittered by this, and the fact that Ezlo made him do many chores such as bring Ezlo his tea didn't help either. Once again, he was being taken advantage of._

_And then the old fool had made the magic cap. The cap that could grant the wishes of whoever wore it. It was meant as a gift to the Royal Family of Hyrule. But Vaati thought differently. Now was the chance to get revenge for always being picked on, always being taken advantage of. No more! So he placed the cap on his head and made his wish to become the most powerful sorcerer alive._

_He remembered seeing his master walking in on him. The look of horror on his face as Vaati had transformed into what he was now made him feel excited, but it also made him feel a pang of guilt. Unable to bring himself to kill his master, he instead chose to turn him into a talking cap before departing, not willing to hear the tone of betrayal and hurt in Ezlo's voice._

_Vaati next saw pieces of his following exploits, his rise to power, releasing the monsters upon Hyrule, taking over Hyrule Castle…and his defeat at the hands of Link. Then he saw the mocking face of Ganondorf, laughing at his failure. What gave him any reason to laugh? He had fallen to Link many more times than Vaati had. And yet, Ganondorf had used him, just like how everyone else had used him._

_It wasn't fair._

_Even with all his powers, he was taken advantage of. He had taken the hat to prove to himself, his master, and everyone that he was ready to use magic, that he would no longer be everybody's pansy. But what good had it done?_

_And then he saw her. For whatever reason, Raven had entered his dreams. He saw her on her knees, slumped in defeat before the imposing figure above her. It was a large man with dark red skin and two sets of burning red eyes. Antler-like horns protruded from his forehead, and his hair was silver. "You cannot defeat us, young half-breed," it said with a sadistic smile. "You cannot defeat your father!"_

_Raven was struggling to stand. "Trigon…is not…my father…and neither…are you…!"_

"_His demon blood flows within you! His powers are present in yours! And it is with that power that you will give in to our demands!"_

That's what her father looks like? _Vaati thought, astonished that someone so beautiful could be sired by something so vile._

_And then Trigon-Dethl looked at Vaati. "Well, well, it seems we have a visitor," it hissed wickedly._

_Vaati was rooted to the spot, feeling terror grip at his chest. Every instinct told him to run, but he couldn't. He had a feeling it was because of Dethl's hold over the dream world. He looked at Raven's pain-stricken face, and her eyes had the look of what -are-you-doing-here with a hint of please-help-me. Dethl abandoned its form as Trigon and shifted into a smaller form, though it was still taller than Vaati. Vaati stifled a gasp._

_The creature looked like a perfect silhouette of Ganon's beast form. However, instead of a trident, it carried a polearm with axes on both ends of the shaft. Dethl slowly started walking towards Vaati. "We suppose you are wondering why you see us in this dream. When you were defeated by Ganon, we rescued you by opening a portal. But Ganon's killing spell hit it, blowing us off course. It also further dampened your powers. We were planning to feed off your dreams, but Raven here is a more perfect fit for our plans. But it seems we accidentally set up a link between you two when we left you."_

_By this time, Dethl was face-to-face with Vaati. "Now we have a way to torture you both. We know your memories. We know your sentiments…and we know of your desires."_

_Vaati was unnerved by the Nightmare Lord's words. "You cannot hide your attraction for the girl from us. You cannot hide your memories of being pushed around and taken advantage of, and you cannot hide your sentiments towards her for going through what you have gone through."_

_The look on Raven's face was unreadable, but Vaati's was visibly terrified. "Get away from me fool!" Vaati snarled, lifting his arms and blasting Dethl with all the wind power he could muster. _

_This had no effect on Dethl. A sneer streaked across the pitch-black demon's face. "Your powers have no meaning here in the dream world. This is our world. This is where we are undefeatable! Now fear our might, half-demons!"_

"_Half-demon…?" Vaati began, but suddenly he felt Dethl's weapon dig into his shoulder, unleashing a wave of pain into the Wind Mage's body at the same moment it had unleashed a punishing wave of lightning at Raven._

And then he was awoken by the sound of himself and Raven both crying out in shared agony, now realizing the extent of their mortal danger.


	6. A Strange Connection

**Chapter Five: A Strange Connection**

It was morning when Vaati and Raven had both awakened, once more alerting the other Titans, who, thankfully, were already in the process of waking up. Vaati had accidentally fallen off the couch and was now on the floor, gripping his aching shoulder. Beast Boy was the first to reach him. "Dude, Vaats! You all right?"

Vaati gritted his teeth. "My name is _Vaati_, you brainless child! And yes, I'm fine! Just…give me some room!"

Vaati slowly stood up and rubbed his shoulder. "Was it Dethl?" Beast Boy asked.

Vaati nodded in answer. "But…I thought he was in Raven…" Beast Boy said uncertainly.

Vaati looked up and saw Raven floating towards him, flanked by the other Titans, who all had looks of concern plastered on their faces. Beads of sweat dampened her deep-violet hair, and her eyes were locked intently on Vaati. She was breathing heavily, slowly recovering from Dethl's last torture session. Her eyes did not leave Vaati as she said, "I want to talk to Vaati alone."

Everyone else looked at each other before they each went to their rooms to dress. Once she was sure they were alone, she zoomed in close to Vaati's face, startling him. "How did you manage to get into my dreams? How dare you try to look at my memories!"

"You think I had a _choice_?" Vaati responded, taken aback. "I was asleep! I didn't know what was happening! For all I know, you came into _my _dreams!"

"Don't flatter yourself, pretty boy."

"Before you decide to vent your anger out on the wrong person, I think you should try to recall exactly what that creepy bastard said. He said something about us having a connection of some kind because he moved from my body to yours, possibly leaving a small essence of his behind or something like that."

Vaati walked over and grabbed his hat and set it on his head. "Did you happen to see my dreams?"

Raven noted that his question was just as anxious as the way she would have asked it. "No. For most of the time I was meditating. But somehow I fell asleep again."

Vaati breathed a sigh of relief. He would not like someone knowing about his past, the days when he was an inferior being. "Listen, Vaati," Raven stated. "I need to know the extent of this…connection we have now. I want you to come to my room and meditate with me."

Vaati thought about it for a moment. "Will Dethl be able to see us?"

"Meditating is not the same as sleeping. Don't you know that? Now come on. I don't usually ask this of people."

She turned around and floated down the hallway, with Vaati following behind her. When they reached her room, she shut the door behind them and touched down on the floor in the center of the room, where a circle riddled with unfamiliar runes was present. Raven gathered a few candles and placed them around the circle. She then looked at Vaati and said, "Dim the lights, then sit in front of me. We will both begin meditating in the way we're used to, and I'll see if we can make contact with this link we possess."

She pointed at the switch, which Vaati flicked down, cutting the lights. "Why do we want to do this? This link might betray our memories."

"From what I could tell, your history isn't all that different than mine. But this link is also our only way to figure out a way to fight against Dethl."

She lit the candles and then crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees, palms facing upwards as she began chanting continuously, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Vaati raised an eyebrow before he closed his eyes and ordered his body to relax, his muscles losing their tension, his breath slowing. Shortly afterward, they were both deep within their respective trances.

_Vaati and Raven found themselves in a wide expanse of black nothingness. They seemed to be the only objects that existed in this empty place. Raven looked at Vaati sternly. "I suggest you start with your past memories first, considering you've been living longer than I have."_

_Vaati hesitated, but the expanse did the action for him, suddenly changing into Vaati's childhood town, a group of houses dug into mushrooms surrounded by a forest of grass blades. This was not a rich town, for several of the mushrooms were half-rotted, and some of the mouse-like townsfolk looked as though they hadn't washed their clothes in a while. Raven looked around at the scenery, startled by what she was seeing. These people were so tiny! Their houses were as tall as the average blade of grass! And they did not resemble the purple sorcerer in the slightest._

"_This is the town in which I was born into the world of Hyrule," Vaati explained, his head hung low. "These people are called the Minish, and I was born one."_

_Vaati solemnly walked through the pebble stone street, the passerby ignoring them completely. Finally they approached a rotten log, where a building had been carved out of it. A number of Minish children were playing with each other outside, but one in particular caught Raven's eye._

_Sitting in the dirt by the front door, reading a book, was a Minish boy who was strikingly different from all the others. His clothes were purple, his skin was pale, and he had red eyes. This could only be Minish Vaati._

"_You looked pretty cute back then," Raven commented._

_Vaati stifled a growl as he knew what was coming next. "Just watch."_

_Suddenly two older Minish boys strutted out of the orphanage and saw where Minish Vaati was sitting. Immediately they sauntered over to him, and the older one kicked the book out of his hands. Before Minish Vaati could respond, the two had grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hauled him to his feet. "What'cha doing, freak show?" the older one sneered. "Trying to read a book so you can look normal? Give it up, freak show!"_

_The other Minish slapped Minish Vaati hard across the face for the fun of it, preventing him from saying anything. "You ain't nothing! You ain't no Minish! Nobody gives a damn about poor little Vaati, so suck it up and go hide under a rock!"_

_They pushed Minish Vaati to the ground, laughing as they walked away. The look on his face almost broke Raven's heart. The little boy lay on his hands and knees, tears in his eyes. And what made it worse was the fact that no one had even noticed. Raven looked at Vaati, but his head was turned away, and she knew he was repressing the urge to cry as well._

_The boy slowly crawled over to where the book had fallen and picked it up. He then went and disappeared behind the log to escape the other children. "I never knew either of my parents," Vaati said, his voice strained. "My father died before I was born, and my mother died giving birth to me. This…this was what the first eight years of my life were like."_

_Suddenly the scenery changed into what appeared to be the interior of the orphanage. The other children were huddling together, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Vaati, however, was sitting in the corner, reading another book, completely ignoring everything else around him. Raven jumped aside as she saw an elderly-looking Minish walk into the room. His hair was tied up in the fashion of Asian sages, and he was leaning on a cane with a bird's head for support. Raven noticed the real Vaati gaze upon the old man with a look of anger and betrayal._

"_Come together, children!" the man beckoned to the kids, who eagerly obeyed, crowding around him._

"_Master Ezlo, I wanna be your apprentice!"_

"_Master Ezlo, I got what it takes to learn magic!"_

"_I'd be your best apprentice ever, Master Ezlo!"_

_Suddenly the elder called Ezlo happened to look up and saw Minish Vaati in the corner. Something about the boy had apparently piqued the old sage's interest. Raven and Human Vaati watched as Ezlo walked across the room over to where Vaati sat and kneeled down in front of him. Minish Vaati looked up from his book in astonishment as Ezlo asked, "What is your name, child?"_

"_V…Vaati," he breathed, astonished that the great philosopher would ever speak to someone like him._

_Ezlo glanced down at the book and said, "Magicians of the Hylian Age. Isn't that a little advanced for your age?"_

"_I…I read a lot, sir."_

_The other kids were watching with shock at what was transpiring. "Young Vaati," replied Ezlo, "You seem like an exceptionally bright child. I can see an ambition in your eyes the likes of which I have not seen even in myself for a long time. Would you like to become my apprentice?"_

_The other kids were thunderstruck, too shocked to protest. Minish Vaati's eyes sparkled. "Y-yes, sir! I would like that very much!"_

_Raven once again looked at Vaati to see his expression, and it appeared to be very dark. These memories were not pleasant for him. "This was the day I came under the tutelage of the elder Ezlo. He was a renowned sage and philosopher who would occasionally take apprentices into his servitude. I felt this would be the day when my life would change for the better. I was wrong."_

_The scenery changed again, this time becoming the interior of what Raven assumed was Ezlo's house, considering the old man was in the room, talking with a slightly older Minish Vaati. "Vaati, you are still too young to begin practicing magic. You aren't old enough to be able to control the magical energy around us properly. If you should attempt a spell and it goes wrong, you could be seriously injured, or even worse, killed! I do not wish such a fate to befall you!"_

_Minish Vaati looked down at his feet, a look of shame on his face. "Yes, Master Ezlo," he mumbled glumly._

"_Good. Now sweep the floor and then continue with your studies."_

_The sage then turned and disappeared into another room, and Minish Vaati quietly picked up a broom and started sweeping. "Ezlo was always like this," Human Vaati growled. "He would always tell me that I wasn't ready, and then he would have me do his chores while he was busy with magical artifacts. I put up with this for three years. He didn't want me using magic because he was jealous of me. He didn't want to lose me because there is no use for a dead servant. I was sick of this redundancy. And then I heard about the wishing cap."_

_The scenery changed to another room in the house, where Minish Vaati was peeking around the door, looking into Ezlo's study. There on the table was a red cap that looked like a red version of Vaati's hat. Minish Vaati slowly entered the room and crept over to the wishing hap and slowly put it on his head._

_And then Ezlo walked in, a grave look on his face. "Vaati! What are you doing?"_

_And then the boy turned black and morphed into his Hylian form. "Oh, what an evil form you've taken!" Ezlo cried, a look of horror on his wrinkled face._

_Vaati's eyes flashed in anger. "Evil? I am no such thing! But I have grown weary of the world taking advantage of me, especially you! It ends now! With my new power, I will show the world that I will not tolerate it ever again!"_

"_Why, Vaati?" the old man asked, his eyes full of hurt. "You were like a son to me…"_

"_Your _son_? I was more like a slave, you old goat! I toiled for three years under your yoke, and I believed that one day you would finally teach me the magic I so desperately wished to learn! But I soon realized that day would never come. But now, my power is absolute! I am the greatest sorcerer alive, and I now control an element that shall never bow to anything! I am the Wind Mage Vaati, and soon the world will respect me and my power!"_

"_Please, Vaati! Listen to reason! You don't know what you're doing!"_

"_Enough out of you! After hearing you always saying, 'fetch me my tea, boy,' or 'clean my potion cabinet,' I have no desire you hear you speak again!"_

_Vaati lifted his hand and tossed a ball of energy at Ezlo, who cried out as he was reduced to a green hat with a bird's head. Oddly enough, it was still alive. Ezlo could only watch as Vaati said, "Farewell, Ezlo."_

_And then he disappeared, leaving Ezlo alone to deal with Vaati's betrayal. The real Vaati did not comment at this, feeling there was no need to. Then then there was a scene where Vaati had defeated the other swordsmen at the Picori Festival tournament, and then when he transformed the Princess of Hyrule into a statue and released the monsters from a chest locked by a sword._

_And then finally came the moment of truth, his first battle with Link. The boy was dressed in green…and Ezlo was on his head, watching in earnest as the hero battled a massive black orb with a single eye emblazoned on its front. A number of smaller eyes were grouped in front of it, and several bat wings were flapping on its sides. It had a golden headdress fashioned in the likeness of two horns. The beast was swinging at Link with its arms while simultaneously shooting balls of electrical energy from the horns. The boy was constantly evading the enraged beast._

_Raven and Vaati watched the events play out, all the way up to the point to where the flying eye was defeated and sucked into the sword. Then the scenery went black. Raven continued to picture the one-eyed monster in her head. "Was that…"_

"_Yes," Vaati answered before she could finish. "That was me. My demon form, which I took out of rage. There is one more event you should see that details the battle I fought before I came to your world."_

_The scenery morphed into an arena of some kind, surrounded by stone walls. Two figures were dueling with swords in the middle of the field. It was Vaati and the boy. After a few minutes, the boy managed to disarm and seriously wound Vaati, but right after this occurred, another man appeared, smirking devilishly. His hair was a fiery orange, his skin a dark shade of green, his eyes a demonic shade of yellow, and his armor black as night._

"_I knew you would defeat him, boy," the man said. "But I never expected it would be so quickly. But it doesn't matter now. Now I will kill you and finally have my revenge and the Triforce once and for all!"_

_As the boy battled the newcomer, Vaati lay in a corner, slowly managing to heal himself. As he neared full health, he saw that the menacing figure had disarmed the boy. Then Vaati stood up and yelled, "He is MINE to kill!"_

_The blast of wind he released was enough to nearly trip the man, but he held his ground. "Good. I had almost forgotten you were there, Wind Mage. Thank you for reminding me. I think I will deal with you now, so you can't try that again."_

_Raven calmly watched Vaati and the dark man fight up to the point when they both assumed their demonic forms. Then she was caught off-guard by the huge, boar-like monster that had replaced the man. The manner in which the pig and the eye were duking it out could only be described as fighting like wild animals, the brute savagery of the battle stunning even Raven._

_Both managed to inflict tremendous damage to one another, but in the end, it was the pig who carried the day. Vaati lay on the floor in a bloody heap as the victor kneeled by him, saying something to Vaati thatRaven could not hear. After a few moments, the man stood up and raised his hand over his head, summoning a ball of swirling energy. It struck the Wind Mage, but seemed to do no damage to him. Then the man said, "And with that, Wind Sorcerer, you shall die."_

_The man prepared a pulsating ball of pure annihilation above his head, but just as he released it, a black cloud appeared out of nowhere and opened what seemed to be a small rip in dimensions. Vaati disappeared into it the moment the spell hit. And with that, the scene reverted back to the black nothingness._

"_That man you saw was Ganon," Vaati said. "He was the one who always caused so much anguish and destruction in Hyrule. And that black cloud was probably Dethl."_

_Raven took a moment to absorb everything she had just witnessed. Vaati had lived a hard life, and she could see how it could have scarred him and pushed him to do what he did. Finally she stared at Vaati and said, "Now it's my turn."_

_The next hour or so was spent on Raven's history, from her memories of her demon father Trigon, to her training with the strange monks, and finally her exploits with the Teen Titans. When she was finally done, Vaati sighed in disbelief. "I can't believe this."_

"_What?" Raven queried._

"_I cannot see how a woman like you could be the offspring of someone like _him._ He is vile and frightful, and you're…" Vaati let the sentence hang in the air, unwilling to finish._

"_What, pretty? Sexy? You don't have to hide it, pretty boy. Dethl made it kind of clear what you thought about me."_

_Then she smiled. "But I admit no one's said anything like that to me before. And I guess I could say the same about you. You look kind of cute, but I saw you go from adorable to demonic in the space of an hour. That's a little hard to believe too."_

_Vaati tried to hide his embarrassment by flipping his hair over his eyes. This did not help. "You know, I find it strange how we're so alike. We both look like we never see the light of day, we both have a taste for purple capes, and we both have a bloodthirsty demon side lurking in our souls."_

"_And we both have had a rough life in our younger days."_

"_Starfire told me you tend to get taken advantage of as well."_

"_Yeah," Raven said, looking down. "They always want to use my powers to further their own goals."_

_She suddenly felt Vaati's hand on her shoulder. She looked into his eyes, which caused her heart to flutter ever so slightly. "I do not condone such heartless behavior, especially towards you. I will never let such things like that continue. Slade, Brother Blood, Dethl, they'll all pay soon."_

_Raven gazed at Vaati's hand and slowly took it in her own. "I know my friends care about me, but none of them ever seemed to think of me the way you do. It made me feel…different. Like I wasn't appreciated enough for anyone to really like me in that way."_

"_At least you have friends. I never did. And in my own humble opinion, I think you are the most attractive girl I've ever met. I never met anyone so beautiful and mysterious back in Hyrule. The Goddesses themselves cannot compare."_

_Raven blushed. "I don't know about _that._"_

"_I do."_

_Raven's smile faded. "You know he'll try to use this against us."_

_Vaati smirked defiantly. "Let him try."_

"_Well, it's probably noon by now, so we should get something to eat. Perhaps you and I could…go on a date. See a movie, or whatever people like us do together."_

"_What the hell is a movie?"_

"_It's…it's a bunch of moving pictures that tell a story."_

"_Well, considering I'll probably never see my homeland ever again, I might as well see what this world has to offer."_


	7. Movie Date

**Chapter Six: Movie Date**

When Vaati and Raven finally emerged from Raven's room, the other Titans immediately noticed the strange smiles on their faces. This was _very _weird, mostly due to the fact that Raven almost _never _smiled. Before anyone could ask about it, Raven said, "Vaati and I are going out to…investigate something."

Even Vaati looked pained from the poor excuse Raven was giving her friends for going out with the strange newcomer they had only known for a day. It was obvious they suspected something. "Alright, guys," Robin said."We'll call you if anybody starts causing trouble around town."

Raven nodded, and then she and Vaati left the room. When he was sure they were gone, Beast Boy smirked and said, "Somebody's in love!"

"Sharing each other's memories and thoughts can do that to you," Robin replied. "That's the most intimate kind of communication that I know of. Besides, they're pretty much alike. That has to count for something."

As Vaati and Raven were walking towards the movie theater, Raven was explaining everything about Jump City to the Wind Mage, who listened intently. The two of them ignored the curious stares thrust in their direction, particularly at Vaati and his pointed ears. The two purple-clad companions eventually arrived at a building with flashing lights and letters emblazoned on a large sign on the front of the building above the entrance in a language Vaati did not recognize.

"I assume this is the 'movie theater' you mentioned?" Vaati asked.

"Yeah. I feel like seeing that new horror movie that just came out. It's called _Night of the Huntsman_."

"Hmm…A horror movie is meant to frighten the audience, correct?"

"Pretty much. This is better than what my friends usually force me to watch over at the Tower."

"I'll take your word for it. So how do we get in? I assume we're supposed to pay, but I doubt this place takes Rupees."

Raven revealed a wad of green slips of paper with faces printed on them. "Nope. We use cash here."

The duo walked up to the ticket booth, and a young woman noticed them and leaned out her small window. "You do realize Halloween was_ last_ month, right?"

"…I'm going to assume you were making a joke and refrain from turning you into a statue."

The ticket lady shrugged and said, "Whatever. What movie did you come to see?"

"Two adults for _Night of the Huntsman,_" Raven said, handing several of the green papers over to the woman.

"Explains the Goth get-ups," the ticket lady surmised. "You kids are all about watching blood and guts fly everywhere nowadays. Never understood it. Anyway, two seventy-five's your change, and here are your tickets."

Raven kept a straight face as she took the tickets and change from the woman's hand. She motioned for Vaati to follow her into the theater. Vaati gave the ticket lady an icy glare before he obliged. Inside the brightly-lit theater lobby, there was another booth where a pair of people was selling popcorn and drinks. Raven approached it as Vaati took in his surroundings. The walls were bright, cheerful colors, which almost hurt Vaati's eyes. Various movie posters adorned the walls, but they were all in the strange language, making them unreadable to the Wind Mage. But the pictures themselves were enough to tell what they were about.

"You can come out of your stupor now."

"Eh, what?" Vaati said, Raven's voice snapping him back to attention.

"The movie's gonna start in five minutes. Let's go."

Vaati noticed the large bag of yellow puffballs and a cup with a lid and straw in Raven's hands. "What in Din's name is that stuff?" he asked, pointing at them.

"You don't know what these are? You lived in a very deprived world."

"That doesn't exactly answer my question."

"This stuff is popcorn, and this is a drink we call 'soda.'"

"Uh-huh."

Raven then walked towards a door, followed by Vaati. She opened the door and they both entered the dimly-lit room. Numerous rows of chairs, a few occupied by some random teenagers, were all facing a massive screen at the end of the room, flanked by show curtains. Raven and Vaati quietly sat down in two chairs in the middle row and waited for the movie to commence.

When it started, Vaati was jolted by the sheer volume of the surround sound speakers, but he managed to get used to it a few minutes into the commercials. Vaati decided to try the popcorn as he watched the pictures move on the screen, immediately liking the buttery taste. He then tried the soda, but immediately gagged. "Sweet Nayru's love, that's disgusting!" he hissed.

Raven shook her head as the Wind Mage took several handfuls of popcorn to wipe the taste out of his mouth. "Well, now I at least know you like popcorn but not soda."

"How can you _stand_ it?" he whispered.

"It's an acquired taste," Raven answered just as quietly.

Vaati leaned back in his seat and was quiet as the commercials finished and the movie began.

The next two hours contained several moments of such violence that it could have disgusted even Ganondorf. Vaati's eyes widened in shock at the Huntsman character as he brutally claimed his victims one after the other. Raven was expressionless the whole time, silently eating popcorn and drinking soda. When the movie was over, Raven turned to Vaati, who was still staring at the screen, his eyes wide as saucers. "Don't tell me that scared you," she teased.

After a moment, Vaati answered, "I…haven't even seen such violence committed by Ganon or his soldiers…This…was just sick. Why would people even_ watch_ this?"

"I ask that question myself sometimes, but, you know, it's entertainment."

"You call that entertainment? I can't even begin to imagine the thoughts running through those people's minds before they were butchered!"

"You know it's all fake, right?" Raven asked, slightly amused by Vaati's outburst.

"How? That was a lot of blood! I specifically saw that one girl get decapitated by that Huntsman maniac!"

"It's called 'special effects.' It's technology movie makers use to make things look more realistic, like monsters, explosions, and bloody murders."

Vaati tore his gaze from the screen and looked at Raven. "Well, let's go."

They left the theater and started walking back towards the Titan's Tower. During the walk, Vaati told Raven more about Hyrule and its people. As they were nearing a video store, however, they saw the window broken in, and a voice could be heard yelling at an unknown person. "Gimme all your video games, man! Do not mock the power of my almighty remote!"

Raven sighed as Vaati looked to her for an explanation. "Please, not this moron."

"Who is he?" Vaati asked.

"Control Freak."


	8. Vaati vs Control Freak

**Chapter Seven: Vaati vs. Control Freak**

They entered the video store and saw a fat, nerdy-looking man with long hair waving what looked like a TV remote at the frightened patron of the store. "Control Freak, do we have to beat you down again?" Raven said, getting the man's attention. "It gets old after a while."

Control Freak noticed her and her long-haired friend behind him. As he saw Vaati, he burst out laughing. "Hey Raven! Who's your girlfriend?"

Raven just stared at him with an annoyed expression. Vaati, however, looked very unamused by Control Freak's taunt. "Well, well. We have ourselves a comedian," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Unfortunately, I, the great Wind Mage Vaati, find your jokes rather pathetic. In fact, you look like the most pathetic, insignificant scum I've ever laid eyes on."

Control Freak stopped laughing, but still kept his smile. His eyes, however, betrayed a hint of dislike at the Wind Mage's remark. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you, elf boy. You've got the silliest name I've ever heard!"

If looks could kill, Vaati would have vaporized Control Freak where he stood. "I commend your bravery but pity your foolhardiness. You should not have tried my patience, Control Freak." The last two words were spoken with disdain.

"You shouldn't have tried mine!" Control Freak retaliated, pointing his remote at a cardboard figure of a knight and pressing a button. Immediately the figure transformed into a real knight. With a real sword. However, Vaati just laughed. "Thanks for providing me with a weapon."

As the knight swung at him with its sword, Vaati sidestepped the attack and kicked the knight's arm, causing it to lose its grip on its sword. Vaati caught the blade and swiftly cut the knight in half. Vaati then looked at Control Freak with the most sinister expression the geeky villain had ever seen. The fact that he had blood-red eyes didn't help at all.

Then Raven used her power to rip the remote out of the distracted Control Freak's grasp and caught it. His weapon gone, Control Freak tried to make a run for it. As Raven was preparing to stop him, Vaati held up a hand to her and said, "Let me take care of this windbag."

He pointed his finger at the retreating Control Freak and cried, "To Stone With You!"

Immediately, a flash of light streaked out of his finger and struck the supervillain. A second later, a statue of Control Freak was standing in the middle of the sidewalk where the real one had been seconds before. Vaati looked at his handiwork and said, "I can't believe I still have that spell!"

Raven was surprised at what the Wind Mage had done. "Is…is he…"

"Of course not," Vaati answered. "The Stoning Spell does indeed turn them to stone, but once it is reversed, they will still be alive. I assume your authorities are already on their way to clean up our little mess."

Vaati casually tossed the sword aside, no longer having a need for it. Seconds later, the other Titans arrived and saw the stone Control Freak standing on the sidewalk. Vaati and Raven then emerged from the video store and looked up at them. "Wha…what happened to him?" Robin said, astonished.

"What does it look like? I turned him to stone so he couldn't escape. He's not dead, though. Once you have the means to properly subdue him, I will remove the spell, and he'll be back to normal."

"Well, that won't be too hard," Cyborg said with a smirk, seeing Control Freak's remote in Raven's hand.

Robin produced a pair of handcuffs and said, "We're ready."

Vaati nodded and pointed his finger at the statue. The statue quickly became flesh and blood again as Control Freak fell to the ground. Before he knew it, Robin had him in handcuffs. A police car then pulled up, and two officers stepped out. "What's going on here?" one of them asked.

"This guy tried to rob the video store," Robin told them, pushing Control Freak forward. "He's all yours, guys."

As they were putting Control Freak in the car, the nerd glanced at Vaati. "I didn't get a chance to tell you, but you have one kick-ass costume!"

Then he was shoved into the car. The two cops then got in and drove off. Vaati watched the vehicle leave and said, "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yeah," Robin answered. "If you look weird, you instantly earn his respect. So coming from him, it's both a compliment and insult."

Vaati shook his head in amusement. "I have to say, though, he was laughably easy to defeat."

The Teen Titans all looked at him. "We know," they all said in unison.


	9. Buster the Darknut

**Chapter Eight: Buster the Darknut**

Back at the Tower, Beast Boy was entertaining Vaati with more stories about their exploits against the loser excuse for a supervillain. After he was done laughing his ass off, Vaati snorted, "If this fool had entered Hyrule while Ganon was in power, he wouldn't last a _minute_! He would have ended up as target practice for some Moblin archers, or perhaps Dodongo food!"

"Ya know," Beast Boy said. "I wanna know what kind of monsters live in your world. You mention some of them, but I can't get a clear idea of what they look like."

Vaati raised an eyebrow. "I can't tell you all of them. There's so many, it would take days to describe them all. But I'll tell you about the basic beasts. Moblins are basically pig-like warriors with the strength of three men and the personality of a tree stump. Your basic evil minion."

Beast Boy pictured the beast in his head, and what he saw made him chuckle. "And then there are the Stalfos," Vaati continued. "They are the skeletal remnants of soldiers whose spirits still have a strong will to fight. Also a basic minion, but much more violent and slightly more skilled than a Moblin. Can't say the same for their intelligence, though."

Beast Boy laughed. "Facing one in battle is no laughing matter, child," Vaati chided. "The more powerful ones can reform themselves unless blown up by bombs or struck repeatedly by energy beams from a magic sword."

Beast Boy quit laughing and let Vaati continue. "My personal favorites are the Darknuts. They are gigantic knights who are highly skilled at close combat. A direct assault against one is suicide. Their only weakness is the very armor meant to protect them. Break it apart piece by piece, and they will be vulnerable to attack. But this is also when they're at their quickest and most dangerous. They are also the most intelligent minions you can have and are highly resilient to magic. But summoning them has a high energy cost as well due to their strength, so luckily for heroes their numbers are always few. They make excellent guards, especially in groups of two or three. At my current strength, I could probably summon one right now, but it would take me several days to fully recover from the exertion."

Beast Boy smiled in amusement. "Something like that would be a perfect opponent for Robin to train with! But the name is kinda silly. I mean, Dark 'Nuts?' In this world, a name like that can sound suggestive."

"How so?"

"You don't wanna know."

Vaati sighed. "Anyway, then there is one creature that I swore I would never summon for any reason…the ReDead, a reanimated corpse that emits a piercing scream when it sees a victim that immobilizes the unfortunate soul. The ReDead then pounces on the victim and drains them of their soul. ReDead knights are the most dangerous. They're essentially the same as the normal ReDead, but they slice the victim in half once they reach them. Only Ganon was cruel enough to unleash monsters like these upon Hyrule. In the middle of a town, no less."

Beast Boy looked terrified and disgusted by the ReDead's description. "Were they all rapists when they were alive?"

"How should I know?" Vaati responded. "But I have heard some of my monsters talk about them and say that they look like they're raping their victims when they attack. Apparently it's made ReDeads the butt of many monster jokes."

Beast Boy shuddered, thankful no such monster existed in Jump City. "And then there are the Dodongos, a race of fire-breathing lizards with only two legs. They are slow, and don't like it when their tails are touched. They're actually wild animals that occur naturally in Hyrule, but they can be trained to perform a villain's work."

Beast Boy seemed to like this monster, for he was smiling as he pictured it in his head. "Another good one is the Wizzrobe. They're magic-wielders who differ in their abilities. Some can control fire, others ice, and others still can create minions of their own. They're basically demons covered by a wizard's robe and a pointed hat."

Beast Boy didn't notice the lost expression on Vaati's face as he reminisced. "You know, this makes me miss Hyrule a little. I need something that will remind me of the good old days and provide us with a bodyguard to watch this place in our absence."

"Like what?" Beast Boy asked, interested.

"Considering there's nothing else for me to do as of right now, I think a Darknut will suffice. Tell your friends to meet me here so it won't alarm them."

Excited to see one of these so-called Darknuts for real, Beast Boy quickly went around the Tower and told everybody Vaati's request. The curious Titans assembled in the lounge and saw Vaati standing in the middle of the room. "It occurred to me that a reminder of my old home will allow my transition into this society to be more comfortable. Also, you leave the Tower unguarded when you leave on missions. I aim to correct this. Now all of you stand back and watch as I summon a Darknut to do our bidding!"

Before the other Titans could inquire about what a Darknut was, there was a burst of dark purple smoke which rose up in front of the Wind Mage as he held his hands high. When the smoke vanished, there stood a humongous knight in black, medieval-styled armor. Its helmet was overshadowed by a wide crest which looked reminiscent of a Greek hoplite's headdress, though this was entirely metal. Its armor was decorated in intricate gold twining, giving it almost a regal feel. In its hands were an abnormally large sword that looked capable of slicing Cinderblock in half with one swing and a large round shield. A smaller sword was sheathed at his side.

Everyone watched the Darknut, eyes wide as it faced the Wind Mage. "What are your orders, Lord Vaati?" it asked in a gruff voice.

"You are to act as my companion and the protector of this Tower in my absence. I also leave you free to do as you wish in this place, so long as nobody or nothing is harmed. But when I give an order, you will obey it without question."

The Darknut looked confused, but bowed at its considerably smaller master. "As you wish, Lord Vaati."

Then its head turned as Beast Boy cried out, "That is the most _awesome_ knight I've ever seen in my _life_!"

"My lord, who are these people?" it asked cautiously.

"These are my new acquaintances, the protectors of this world."

Starfire was the first to float forward, a wide smile on her face. "Greetings, friend! I am Starfire!"

"I'm Robin."

"Call me Cyborg."

"Beast Boy!"

"Raven."

The Darknut didn't answer. "What is your name, friend?" Starfire asked warmly.

"…Name?"

"You got a name, don'cha?" Beast Boy queried, surprised.

"I am a Darknut."

"That doesn't really help," Cyborg muttered.

"They don't usually have names," Vaati commented. "When they are summoned, we don't usually bother to give them names. Not very high on the priority list."

"You cannot go around without a name, friend!" Starfire exclaimed.

"You can't be serious," Vaati mumbled to himself as the Darknut stared at the Teen Titans, bewildered.

Suddenly an idea popped into Beast Boy's head. "Hey, I know! You look like you could put the hurt on anybody! Why don't we call you Buster?"

Vaati just rubbed his temple, ignoring the bubbly teenager. The gigantic soldier seemed to be lost in thought. "…Buster…Buster the Darknut…Has a nice ring to it."

Cyborg struggled to stifle a laugh at the quirky name. "Buster" didn't seem to notice. "Welcome to the Teen Titans, Friend Buster!" Starfire cheered happily.

Buster glanced at her and then turned to Vaati. "She's not like that all the time, is she?"

"As far as I can tell…yes."

Robin noticed the broadsword strapped to Buster's side. "How good are you?"

The Darknut looked at him. "With that?" Robin continued, pointing at the smaller blade.

Buster glanced at his side-arm and said, "All Darknuts possess expert skills in their weapons. These are the blades we use when we are without our armor."

"I'm not bad myself. I have a sparring arena. I want to see what a warrior of Hyrule has to offer."

"I assume you wish me to battle you with my side-arm?"

"Yeah."

"Then I shall first remove my heavier armor."

They all watched as the Darknut took each piece of armor off and placed them on the floor by his larger sword and shield. The thick plates made the Titans wince as they clattered to the floor. They were surprised by what lied underneath all that armor: another suit of armor. Buster's undergarments were a suit of chainmail underneath a maroon and gold tunic. He was wearing a secondary helmet crafted in the likeness of a knight's helm from the crusades, still retaining the black hue of the other plate armor parts. His eyes could not be seen within the helm. As he unsheathed his blade, everyone finally realized the actual size of his secondary weapon.

The blade was nearly as long as Robin's body.

"Friend Robin, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Starfire inquired worriedly.

"You think I will bring harm to him?" Buster replied, amused. "This is a sparring match, not a death match. Now lead me to your fighting chamber."

About ten minutes later, everyone had gathered in the training arena. Standing in the center of the field were Robin, who had armed himself with a katana, and Buster, his longsword gripped firmly in his hand. The two of them stared intently at each other as they assumed their fighting stances. Off to the side were Vaati and the other Titans, watching in earnest.

"I'll make this quick!" Buster taunted, making the first move.

Their swords clashed again and again, but neither could exploit a weakness. Robin managed to deflect or evade all of the Darknut's attacks, but Buster was not without his own skills. The two of them darted around the field, attacking, evading, attacking, evading again. The Titans were all surprised by Buster's amazing dexterity. Vaati and Raven sat by each other, watching the spectacle unfold. "Magnificent, isn't he?" Vaati said.

"Who?"

"The Dar…I mean, Buster. Hard to believe that someone his size can be so quick, isn't it?"

"There's villains out here who can move as quickly as him. It's not the first time I've seen something like this. But I admit he's pretty good with a sword."

Vaati shrugged. "I bet those villains probably won't know what to think if they see him."

Before Raven could reply though, they heard the sound of metal grinding on the floor and noticed Robin's katana skid towards their feet. Buster had disarmed Robin. As the teenage superhero realized what had happened, Buster pointed his sword at him and said smugly, "I do believe the fight is mine, young one."

Robin slowly smiled. "All right, I yield."

Buster lowered his sword and shook Robin's hand. "You make one hell of a sparring partner," Robin commented.

"Indeed. You are the first warrior I have battled in my life, and already I have met my equal."

As Robin and Buster were walking towards the others, Vaati tossed Robin's katana over to him. "That was quite a show you put on out there."

"Yeah," Robin answered, sighing. "He tired me out. I think I'll turn in. Good night, guys."

Robin then left the arena to retire to his room. Cyborg and Beast Boy decided that would be a good idea as well, and followed him out, saying goodnight as they left, leaving Vaati alone with Raven, Starfire, and Buster. "Friend Raven, will you be going to sleep as well?" Starfire asked, her eyes full of worry.

Raven shook her head, frowning. "I know I have to eventually, but I know Dethl will be waiting for me. And I don't want to even think about what he'll try to do to me next."

Vaati put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "I won't let him, Raven. I will protect you in any way I can this time."

His words seemed to calm the teenage sorceress, and her frown softened. "I'll be all right, Star. As long as pretty boy's here, that is."

She glanced at Vaati and smirked playfully. The Wind Mage frowned, but his eyes betrayed a hint of amusement. "All right. Good night, Friend Vaati, Friend Raven, and Friend Buster!"

The Tameranean princess then floated off towards her room. As she left, Buster turned towards Vaati. "What are your orders for me, My Liege?"

"I don't know," Vaati answered, waving him off. "Go…take a walk around the Tower, get a good look at the view, I don't really care, as long as it's something that doesn't involve keeping me awake."

"Yes, my Lord."

Buster then left as well, leaving Vaati and Raven alone in the arena. Vaati glanced at Raven and noticed that she was staring off into space. "You all right?" he inquired.

Without breaking her gaze she answered, "Vaati, I would like you to sleep in my room with me tonight."

Vaati was surprised by her request. "You want me to…why?"

"It…it'll make me feel…I don't know…safer."

Vaati smiled and put his arm around the girl. "Well then, shall we go?"

The two of them then proceeded to Raven's quarters, firmly convinced they would be ready for anything Dethl had in store for them.


	10. Darkest Fears

**Chapter Nine: Darkest Fears**

Vaati had grabbed his pillow and blanket off the couch in the lounge and had proceeded to follow Raven into her room. Quietly, Raven made herself comfortable in her bed while Vaati laid himself on the floor right by her bedside. Slowly sleep overcame them, and they prepared themselves for the inevitable confrontation with the Nightmare Dethl.

"_We have been expecting you," a voice whispered in the dark._

_Vaati and Raven realized that they were in an alley somewhere in Jump City. But something wasn't right. The atmosphere was tinted a sick shade of red, and rain was coming down in torrents. They looked around, searching for Dethl, but they couldn't see it anywhere. Suddenly the sinister demon appeared in front of them both while they were looking behind them._

"_Surprise!" it cackled, shoving them both back with its dream-based magic._

_The two of them fell to the sopping-wet ground. Dethl stood menacingly over them, its halberd pointed at Raven's throat. "We knew you could not resist sweet slumber forever. Now you shall see what we have in store for you."_

"_Not this time, Dethl!" Vaati yelled, unleashing the strongest blast of wind he could muster at the silhouette-like shapeshifter. At the same time, Raven cried, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" and shot a blast of dark magic at their foe._

_Dethl casually spun his halberd in front of him in a windmill fashion, effortlessly deflecting Vaati and Raven's combined attacks. "A valiant but wasted effort," it hissed. "We told you once before. We cannot be defeated in this world. Daughter of Trigon, we shall give you another chance. Will you do as we ask?"_

_Raven glared at Dethl and spat in its face, startling it. Wiping the spittle from its face, a contemptuous and angered glint flashed in its eyes. It then retaliated by backhanding Raven across the face. "Half-demon harlot! You will regret that and your decision to deny our request!"_

"_Not if I can help it!" Vaati roared, throwing himself at the creature._

_Dethl grabbed Vaati by the throat and tossed him back to the ground. "Wait your turn, Wind Mage!"_

_Vaati struggled to lift himself to his feet, but as he did, he was met by a sight so horrible that it made him retch._

_The other Titans were strewn around the alley, all of them dead, their bodies horribly mutilated._

_Beast Boy was hanging upside down by a string, his eyes gouged out and his throat slit, allowing his blood to flow freely out of the wound and stain the puddle below him in a crimson sheen. Cyborg's head was lying idly in the street, while his body was slumped against the wall. Robin's body was spread-eagled in the middle of the alleyway. His empty gaze was cast towards the heavens, and his heart had been carved out of his chest. Starfire was by him, looking as though she had been beaten and raped repeatedly before being brutally stabbed to death. And in the middle of this gory scene was Dethl, staring down at a convulsing Raven. "Horrifying, isn't it?" it taunted, its evil grin returning. "Your worst nightmares coming to life right before your very eyes. This is but a minor taste of the power we wield, a power which, no matter how you fight it, is growing from yours. This is the fate that awaits your beloved friends!"_

_Then, to Vaati's horror and revulsion, the corpses' faces all turned towards Raven and spoke in tandem with the Nightmare. "Do not underestimate our powers. We know your fears, your weaknesses, and your dreams. We are all-powerful, and we are unstoppable. We are your darkest fears. WE ARE THE NIGHTMARE!"_

_Dethl cackled like an insane person, while Raven kneeled pathetically at its feet, unable to look up at her slain friends. When Dethl let up, it glanced sadistically at Vaati. "And do not think for a minute that we have forgotten about poor little Vaati."_

_Suddenly the entire scenery melted away, including Raven. Fear gripped the Sorcerer of Winds as he realized that Dethl had temporarily closed off Vaati's connection with Raven. There was now only a black plain that stretched on forever, overshadowed by ominous red-and-black clouds thundering in the distance. "Have you ever wondered why you were always so different from the other Minish, Wind Mage?" Dethl asked._

_Vaati just stared at it, a hateful gleam in his eyes. "Allow us to fill in a few details about your sorted past. You have no memory of your parents. We can tell you now, you were correct in the assumption that your mother died giving birth to you. But your father is not dead."_

_Vaati's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, not dead?"_

"_Your father…was not Minish, Vaati. You are the offspring of a wretched union between a Minish mother…and a demon father."_

"_W…what?"_

"_Yes…you heard us correctly. Long before you were born, a demon came and attacked your mother, planting its seed in her womb. The curse it placed upon her would also cause her to die in childbirth, for she would be giving birth to a half-demon, the most wretched creature that could ever walk upon the mortal world. Thus was the demon's goal fulfilled; a curse that would haunt the memory of the Minish race forever…you."_

"_How…how do you know this?"_

_In answer, the Ganon-like shape of Dethl shifted into a larger form, growing a pair of large arms with a spherical head. And on its face, a gigantic eye opened, its luminous gaze fixed on a shocked Vaati. The Wind Mage's eyes were wide with horror and dismay, knowing the answer. "Because…we are that demon. We are your father."_

_Vaati felt his breath leave him as he stared dumbstruck at the creature that had just declared itself to be his father. "Your demon form was not a result of your power fusing with that of the light force. It is a power bestowed upon you by us, a power which mutated to fit your aura, and the wishing cap and light force allowed you to access its might."_

_Vaati took this all in, too appalled to respond. "You are Vaati, Son of Dethl!" it shrieked with sinister glee. "And we are now your worst fear!"_

_Vaati had no time to respond before Dethl vanished, leaving Vaati alone in a void of blackest night that could only exist in the absence of dreams._


	11. A Haunting Revelation

**Chapter Ten: A Haunting Revelation**

Dethl did not trouble either of them for the rest of the night. It had already done enough damage to satisfy itself. Vaati awoke first, Dethl's words still repeating in his head. _We are your father._ Again and again, chanting that phrase with sadistic zeal. Vaati tried to force it out of his mind by rubbing his forehead. He looked over at Raven, who was still asleep, though a troubled look was etched into her face even as she slept. Vaati quietly pushed his blanket aside, grabbed his hat and sandals, exited the room, and headed for the showers. The other Titans were apparently still asleep as well, for Vaati didn't run into any of them. The sun was just barely creeping over the horizon. Vaati stopped for a minute to stare out the window and look upon the rising sun. He also happened to notice Buster the Darknut standing at the cliff edge beneath the Tower, fully armored as he watched the sun rise. Vaati shook his head and continued on to the showers.

Raven slowly opened her eyes, remembering the psychological torture the Nightmare had put her through. She shuddered as the vision of her friends murdered came back to mind. She then did her best to suppress the anger and terror she felt. She was not going to give in to Dethl's demands. She promised herself that over and over again, calming her. She sat up and looked over at where Vaati had gone to sleep and noticed he had already left the room. She sighed and rubbed her eyes before getting out of bed. She then decided to meditate.

Vaati must have been in the shower for at least half an hour before he decided to get out and dry himself off. About ten minutes later, he opened the door, allowing the warm air to escape the room, fully clothed. By now, Robin was awake, and he was pouring himself some tea. He glanced over at the Wind Mage and said, "Morning."

"Yes it is," Vaati answered glumly.

"Rough night?"

"You don't know the half of it."

Robin took a sip of his tea. "You want some tea?"

Vaati took up a chair at the table and said, "Might as well."

Robin opened the cupboard and took out a second glass, pouring tea into it. He handed it over to the Wind Mage and said, "So is Raven fine?"

Vaati gave Robin a very serious look and said, "After what Dethl put her through last night, I wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't talk to us all day."

Robin's tone was just as serious. "Why?"

"The sick bastard used his powers to paint a very grim picture of you and your friends just for her."

"How grim?"

"All of you were dead, killed in the most violent ways imaginable. I'd rather not tell you how."

Robin shook his head, feeling sorry for Raven's dilemma. "That's just what Dethl put _her _through," Vaati continued.

Robin looked at Vaati again. "When he decided to focus on me, he told me something that I think will haunt me forever," the Wind Mage said.

Vaati seemed hesitant to finish. "What?" Robin encouraged.

Vaati closed his eyes. "He said he was my father."

Robin choked on the sip of tea he had just taken. After coughing for a moment, he gasped, "He said _what_?"

"He said he was my father!" Vaati yelled, feeling shameful of his heritage.

Robin was shocked. "How? How is that possible?"

"He attacked my mother and impregnated her. I found out why my mother died giving birth to me. It was a curse Dethl had placed upon her. I was intended to be the curse that would torment my race for eternity!"

Vaati fell deathly quiet and gloomily drank his tea. The two of them silently sipped their tea, neither of them willing to continue the conversation. Starfire soon came in, obliviously cheery as ever. "Good morning, friends!"

She knew something was wrong when she saw their faces. "Are you all right, Friend Vaati?"

"You mean besides the fact that the wretched beast that plagues Raven in her dreams just so happens to be my father?" Vaati answered sarcastically. "Peachy."

The sorcerer's sarcasm did not escape Starfire. "I…I am very sorry, Friend Vaati. I did not know."

"Of course you didn't. I just found out about it myself when Dethl was putting Raven and me through psychological _torture_!"

Vaati sighed and rubbed his temple as he took another sip of his tea. Starfire looked at Robin, whose expression told her that it was best to give Vaati some space for the moment. She then busied herself with getting some breakfast for herself. Cyborg was the next to come out of his room, stretching himself and yawning before walking towards the kitchen. "So what's for breakfast?" he asked.

"Haven't decided yet," Robin said. "I was talking to Vaati."

Cyborg walked up behind Vaati and slapped him lightly on his shoulder. "How we doin' this morning, Vaats?"

"Don't touch me," Vaati growled. "And the name's _Vaati._"

"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it," Cyborg responded, throwing up his hands. "You not have a good night?"

"Do I have to explain it _again_? I'd rather let Robin do the honors. I'm not in the mood."

Cyborg glanced at Robin. "Dethl came into his dreams last night and said he was his father."

Cyborg's organic eye widened in surprise. "You're kidding."

"I wish I was. And he did a number on Raven too, from what Vaati told me. He apparently caused her to have a nightmare of all of us being killed."

Cyborg was visibly angry. "That's just sick! He's really messing her up!"

"What's sick?" a voice said behind Cyborg.

Cyborg looked behind him and saw Beast Boy walking towards them, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Dethl's Vaati's father," Cyborg said bluntly.

Beast Boy yawned. "That's nice…wait, _what_?"

"Dethl told Vaati that he was Vaati's father. And then he showed Raven a vision of all of us dead."

Beast Boy's eyes widened, all his residual weariness leaving him. "Dude, that's just wrong!"

"Can we just drop it now?" Vaati interjected irritably. "I have no desire to hear any more of it. Just…drop it. Please."

Everyone stared at Vaati, who simply slumped miserably in his chair, finished with his tea. He twirled his finger in front of him, watching as a small cyclone wrapped around it, the magic fibers in the wind allowing the swirls to be seen. The Titans all felt bad for Vaati, who had been under enormous emotional stress in the days since he had come here. Suddenly Raven came into the kitchen and noticed everyone stare at her, pity evident in their eyes. "So Vaati already told you?" she questioned, her voice calm.

"Yeah," Robin answered. "I just wish there was something we could do to help."

Raven wordlessly floated up to Vaati and put a delicate hand on his shoulder. Vaati slowly looked up at her and put his hand in hers. Raven could see the weariness in Vaati's eyes, and she knew it could only be Dethl's doing. "So what did he do to you?"

Vaati stroked her hand absent-mindedly as he said, "Dethl told me he was my father, which was the reason why I was always so different from the other Minish."

Vaati and Raven just stayed in that position for the longest time, him sitting in the chair, Raven standing behind him, their hands touching. All the other Titans could somehow feel the emotion flowing between them. Finally Vaati looked up at Robin and said, "Let's have some breakfast and put this grim matter aside for the time being."

Robin smiled. "I couldn't agree more."

He looked at Starfire, who was busy making pancakes and said, "Make enough for seven of us. Beast Boy, go tell Buster that breakfast will be ready soon."

"Right on it!" Beast Boy answered, running out of the room.


	12. Cinderblock vs the Titan Knight

**Chapter Eleven: Cinderblock vs. the Titan Knight**

Buster had watched the sun rise over the strange new city he would be calling home, contemplating the serenity of it all. While this would seem strange for a Darknut, Buster was under unique circumstances, since his master had allowed him a free will, so this was something the knight was taking advantage of. Buster watched as a seagull floated lazily in the early morning breeze, trilling its bird call. Although he liked this calm, he was a soldier, and a soldier lived to fight. He hoped that somewhere out there was an enemy worth fighting. He could hear the waves lapping up against the rocky crags of the cliff face and smell the ocean breeze that wafted through the nasal passages of his ponderous helm. He sighed, basking in the glory of the rising day.

Then that glory was interrupted by a teenage voice. "Hey, Buster! We're having breakfast! Wanna come join us?"

The huge knight cast a casual glance at the green kid behind him. "Darknuts require little food to survive. I do not need to eat yet. I will return shortly, but I wish to observe the morning in peace."

"Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked.

"I am."

Beast Boy shrugged and made his way back towards the Tower, leaving the knight to contemplate nothing in particular.

Beast Boy came into the dining room a few minutes later. "He said he ain't hungry."

"Darknuts are soldiers born of magic," Vaati explained. "The magic in their bodies sustains them for a while, but they do eat once that magical reserve is almost depleted. Give him about a week, and he'll require food."

"Well, let's eat," Cyborg shrugged.

They all sat down at the table, where plates containing stacks of pancakes awaited them. Butter and maple syrup were within easy reach of all of them, but Starfire had mustard for her pancakes. Vaati looked at his food and was about to inquire as to what it was, but Robin had already seen it coming. "Pancakes."

"…Ah."

Vaati took a bite of the stuff and chewed slowly. After finally swallowing, he said, "I like this."

And so for the next forty-five minutes they ate, exchanging idle conversation every so often. Vaati was the most quiet, for he was concentrating on eating more than anything else. As they were finishing up, Buster came into the room, a distinct clanking noise heralding his arrival. "Good morning," he said.

"Mornin'," Robin responded, acknowledging the Darknut.

Beast Boy was more eager to strike up a conversation with Buster and ran up beside him. "Hey Buster! You wanna know more about our world?"

The ebony knight looked down at the smiling green boy. "Yes, more information about this place would be desirable. I particularly wish to know about any enemies that you find a challenge. After all, I am a soldier, and soldiers are meant for combat."

Beast Boy, nodded, understanding what the knight was getting at. "Well, there are a lot of pretty bad people out there, but most of them actually rely more on smarts or speed. If you're talking about guys you can go toe-to-toe with, there are a few others who are pretty much all brawn and no brain."

"Do they have names by any chance?"

"There's one called Cinderblock. Pretty strong, but pretty dumb. He's, like, made out of rocks."

"A stone golem?"

"I have no idea what that is, but if they're anything like Cinderblock, then probably yeah."

"And what about heroes? What are you like?"

Beast Boy thought for a minute. "Well, most of us have a kind of superpower we use to help other people and beat down bad guys. Most of us also have a secret identity, so that people won't know our real names and bring us more publicity than we need. To be honest, the superhero names we use are usually cooler than our real names anyway."

"I see. So, if my real name is Buster, then I should have asuperhero name to hide my true name."

"Well, you don't _have _to. But think about it. Buster's a good name, but it won't strike fear into the hearts of supervillains. Why don'cha try coming up with one?"

Buster was quiet for a moment as he thought of this. Finally he looked down at Beast Boy and answered, "I am a member of the Titans and a knight. I, therefore, see it fit to adopt the moniker of the Titan Knight."

"You know, that works pretty well 'cuz it also takes your size into account. Sounds a heckuva lot cooler than 'Darknut.'"

"That term struck fear in the hearts of others back on my master's world."

"Eh, well. This isn't his world."

Beast Boy then left Buster to his own devices as he proclaimed the news to Vaati and his fellow Titans. "Buster came up with a superhero name for himself!"

"A superhero name?" Vaati said. "Are you serious?"

"Yep. He wants to be known as the Titan Knight to everyone else."

"Well," Vaati admitted grudgingly. "It does sound rather flattering."

Suddenly everyone was jolted by the sound of an alarm. The blaring noise almost caused Vaati to fall off his chair in shock as the large TV screen in the lounge switched on, revealing a large man made of stone blocks entering a bank through the hole he had just caused. "Cinderblock's robbing a bank!" Robin proclaimed. "Titans, let's go!"

As the other Titans were preparing, Raven got Robin's attention. "I think I should stay here. If I use my powers, Dethl might find a way to access them. I don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger."

"I'm staying as well," Vaati added. "I haven't fully recovered from bringing Buster into this world yet. I would be of little use to you."

Robin nodded. "I understand, guys."

"I will come as her replacement," Buster offered, his sword and shield in hand. "This Cinderblock character looks like the perfect adversary for me to use my brute strength."

He shouldered his gargantuan sword, waiting for Robin's response. "Alright! Let's just hope you fit in the car."

The Titans and Buster then ran out of the room, leaving Raven and Vaati by themselves. "Should we be worried?" Vaati asked, watching as the others disappeared around a corner.

"Cinderblock isn't the smartest villain we've faced, but his strength and durability have been a problem. However, Buster could probably fight him one-on-one and win. They should be fine."

"Well, in that case, what are _we_ going to do?"

Raven thought for a minute. "Well, maybe we can watch our friends on the TV. Other than that, I have no idea."

"Do your friends happen to have any movies or are they just at the theater?"

"We have some. Romance, horror, comedy, adventure, take your pick. Some of them actually aren't half-bad."

"You decide. I know nothing about movies."

Vaati had no ideahe was going to regret that decision.

Buster had managed to fit into the Titans' car, but he had to remove his outer helmet and lay it in his lap with his sword and shield. They drove as quickly as the car would let them, and they arrived at the bank right as Cinderblock was emerging from within it. The car skidded to a halt, and its occupants all jumped out…well, except Buster, who was slower about it due to his size. "Don't you ever learn, rock head?" Robin called out, getting the villain's attention.

Cinderblock dropped the moneybags and smashed his fist into the ground, leaving a small crater in the pavement. He picked up a chunk of cement and tossed it at them. Robin jumped aside, avoiding the rock. "Titans! GO!"

The Titans rushed at Cinderblock. Robin kicked him in the face, causing him to stumble back. Cyborg's arm cannon sent a blast in Cinderblock's direction, hitting him square in the chest. He fell on his back, but was up again in an instant. Starfire charged up green energy in her hands and flung them like flying discs at the villain. This did little to him, and he grabbed Starfire and threw her hard into the ground. "Star!" Beast Boy cried, morphing into a gorilla.

Cinderblock saw him coming and pulled a large metal pole out of the ground and hit him with it. Beast Boy was thrown into Robin and Cyborg, knocking them off their feet. Cinderblock was about to smash the cement covered head of the pole into the unconscious Starfire, but before he could, something else happened. A large black sword intercepted its path and blocked it. Cinderblock then looked up and discovered the owner of the weapon, a black knight as large as he was that he didn't recognize. He didn't have time to think about this, for the knight bashed him across the face with his shield, sending Cinderblock to the ground.

Cinderblock rose to his feet and regarded his new enemy. The knight was carrying a massive sword that he was holding in a defensive position behind his shield. "I am the Titan Knight!" he declared. "And I challenge you, Cinderblock, to a duel!"

The golem-like supervillain, of course, didn't know what the knight was saying, but he knew that he was an enemy. Cinderblock lumbered forward and brought the pole down with all his strength, but the Titan Knight blocked it with his shield and pushed forward, trying to knock Cinderblock down again. Cinderblock managed to break out of this, and the two mighty warriors dueled in the street, while the weakened Titans and frightened passerby looked on. The Titan Knight's skills were more than a match for Cinderblock's brute savagery, and soon the Titan Knight had disarmed the villain. Before Cinderblock could retaliate, the Darknut slammed his shield in his face, then followed up with a brutal downward swing with the flat of his blade that struck Cinderblock's head with the force of an earthquake. The supervillain collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Robin couldn't help but smirk as he watched Buster stamp down on the immobilized Cinderblock's chest and said, "Do you yield?"

Cinderblock didn't respond. "I shall take that as a yes, then."

Quite some time passed before Cinderblock was sufficiently restrained, and when he was, the Titans all decided to head for home. When they finally returned to the Tower, they eventually met up with Vaati, who seemed rather unhappy about something. "Dude, what's eatin' you?" Beast Boy asked.

"I made the mistake of letting Raven choose a movie for us to watch."

Cyborg's eye widened. "Good lord, she didn't make you watch that Genetic Opera movie, did she?"

"…Yeesssss…" Vaati hissed. "I'm _never_ letting her pick again!"

"Oh, come on, it wasn't _that_ bad," Raven commented, floating up to them.

"_Yes it was_," Vaati retorted. "Please don't force me to watch that _ever again_!"

Raven rolled her eyes and said, "So was Cinderblock any trouble?"

"Not to Buster," Robin answered. "Rock head managed to make things difficult for us, but once Buster got to him, it was over in a few minutes."

"Now all the world knows the power of the Titan Knight," Buster said, full of pride.

Beast Boy grinned at the Darknut. Vaati rubbed his eyes and said, "That's all good and wonderful, but I am going to meditate for a while, so please do not disturb me."

The Wind Mage then retired to the arena where it was quiet and sat down in the middle of the room on the floor. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, allowing his muscles to relax, and his mind to empty all thoughts. And so the other Titans went about the day while Vaati meditated, for he hoped it would make him less tired so he would not face the cruelty of Dethl once more.


	13. Personal Demons

**Chapter Twelve: Personal Demons**

Dethl was pleased. Deep within the recesses of Raven's mind, it had created a lair for itself and was steadily regaining its power. It was now able to change forms again like it once could. However, it knew it needed more memories, more fears, to be able to find these forms. Masquerading as Trigon wasn't enough; it needed more forms to fully become the Nightmare again. Then, an idea crossed Dethl's mind.

_Hmm. Perhaps Raven's beloved friends have what we want! _it hissed. _They are sure to harbor some inner demons. Old enemies, lost loved ones…heh heh heh…With our new powers, we should be able to cast a nice sleeping spell over the lot of them. We shall wait for them to succumb…and then the fun shall begin!_

When Vaati ceased meditating, he slowly stood up and breathed deeply once more before stretching. He walked out of the room and set off towards the lounge. When he arrived, he noticed that the sun was sinking below the horizon. _Did I really meditate that long_? Vaati wondered.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were busy playing _Halo Reach_, with Starfire watching them, Robin was sparring with Buster, and Raven was in her room meditating. Vaati then discovered to his terror that he felt tired. When he noticed that Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy were all showing signs of fatigue, he knew something was wrong. Vaati's eyelids started drooping, and his limbs were growing heavier as he stumbled towards them. Beast Boy had turned off the X-Box as Cyborg was standing up and yawning. Vaati knew he was the only one who could feel the magic in the air that was causing their drowsiness. _Dethl,_ Vaati thought to himself.

"Don't!" he tried to yell. "Don't fall asleep…It's…"

Vaati was unable to finish, for he and all the other Titans had fallen into a deep slumber. Mere seconds after this had happened, a black mist emerged from Raven's room and passed over Vaati's still form as it approached Starfire. Silently, Dethl entered her mind and exposed her to the power of the Nightmare.

_Starfire looked around nervously at her surroundings. She was in a vast expanse of nothingness, with silver threads snaking their way throughout the area. "Where am I?"_

"_In a place where nightmares become reality," a sinister voice hissed in the darkness._

_A pitch-black figure materialized in front of Starfire. Starfire took a step back. "Who are you?"_

_A wicked grin streaked across the creature's face. "Our name is Dethl."_

_Starfire's fear was replaced by anger. "You are the Dethl who has caused so much torment for Friend Vaati and Friend Raven!"_

"_We are. Our power is growing, thanks to them. But now we require something from you and your other friends. To fully become the Nightmare once more, we need your memories so we may birth new forms for ourselves. You will help us whether you want to or not."_

"_Never!" Starfire cried, her eyes turning green._

_She threw energy discs and fired lasers out of her eyes, but this did nothing to damage to the demon. The evil smile grew even wider, razor-sharp teeth gleaming as Dethl watched as Starfire's attacks were harmlessly absorbed. Soon Starfire ceased attacking, realizing her efforts were in vain. A sense of dread enveloped her as Dethl wagged its finger at her mischievously._

"_Tsk-tsk. It seems we must tell you the same thing we told your good friend Raven. This is _our _world! Here we are invincible!"_

_As it said this, it threw its hand into the air and summoned its halberd while simultaneously shooting a blast of dark energy at Starfire. Starfire was hit in the chest and fell on her back. As she tried to recover, she suddenly felt a foot stamp down on her chest. She looked up and saw the pitch-black silhouette of a young woman similar to Starfire standing over her, Dethl's burning eyes prominent on its face. When it spoke, Starfire realized Dethl's voice was mixed with that of her hated sister Blackfire. "We can see your past. We know your memories, your fears, and your hopes…All of them…"_

_Suddenly the scenery around them changed into a random street in Jump City. The buildings around them were demolished, the pavement was cracked, and numerous cars were burning. And lying in the middle of the street was Robin's motionless body._

_When she saw this, Starfire's eyes filled with horror as she zoomed over to his still form. "Friend Robin!" she cried, cradling Robin's lifeless head in her hands. "Please, wake up!"_

_Tears came to her eyes as she realized that he was dead. She whirled her head around to stare at Blackfire-Dethl. "You…you are a monster!"_

"_Oh, my. Aren't we observant?"_

_Dethl's deranged laughter sent Starfire into a rage, and she unleashed all the power at her disposal at the Lord of Nightmares. All this did, though, was cause it to stop laughing, though its smile still remained on its face. It simply walked towards Starfire, completely ignoring the barrage of energy discharges as if they weren't even there. When it reached her, it grabbed her roughly by the throat, stopping her attack, and morphed back into its Ganon-like form. Pulling her face close to its own, it hissed, "Wasted efforts, Princess of Tameran. Noble, but wasted."_

_It slammed her into the ground and then drove its halberd into her midsection, savoring her screams of agony as it twisted the blade around, deepening and widening the wound. "This is only a mere taste of our true power. When we are at our full strength, you will feel an entirely new world of pain. And we will watch with immense relish as you writhe like the insignificant worm you are, proclaiming your agony to a world that will not bother to listen. This is your fate. This is the world of the Nightmare!"_

_Everything soon vanished into the darkness, including Dethl, leaving a defeated Starfire alone in the dark void as it moved on to another victim._

_Cyborg was glancing in every direction, trying to detect any signs of life within this strange void he had found himself in. His arm cannon was activated, and he was wary of sudden movements. He heard an odd noise and looked in its direction, but found nothing. "Who's there? Come out where I can see you, you coward!"_

"_Very well, you insolent half-mechanical scum," a disembodied voice laced with menace answered._

_Cyborg then saw a pitch-black creature wielding a halberd fade into view before him. A malicious grin was on its face, a smile so sinister it gave Cyborg goosebumps. "Welcome to our world. We are Dethl, the heart of the Nightmare."_

"_You're Dethl? The one Raven's been talking about? You made a big mistake bringin' me here, buddy!"_

"_You think you can harm us? Go right ahead. Try it. See what good it does you."_

_Cyborg obligingly fired a blast from his arm cannon at Dethl, causing a large explosion. Cyborg smirked, but not for long. When the smoke cleared, Dethl was still standing, somehow having withstood his attack. "Your friends Starfire and Raven tried the same thing when we first appeared to them. As you can see, it did not stop us from achieving what we wanted. And neither could you, Cyborg."_

_Dethl's shape began changing, and soon its form bore an eerie resemblance to Cyborg's most hated rival: Brother Blood. Its voice was Dethl's and Brother Blood's mixed together, chilling Cyborg's soul. "We were born of nightmares. We are the physical manifestation of all the fear in the world. We know what you are afraid of. It is that fear which gives us power over you."_

_Suddenly Cyborg's mechanical parts began to shut down. Dethl was somehow demolishing Cyborg's circuitry systematically. Pain wracked his body as he watched Brother Blood-Dethl walk up to him. Cyborg fell to his knees in agony and gasped for breath. He managed to give Dethl one last gaze of intense hatred before it delivered a blow to his face so hard that he lost consciousness._

_Robin took in his surroundings, ready for anything. He held his Bo staff in front of him, wary of possible attacks. Suddenly a sinister chuckle reverberated throughout the area. "Welcome, Robin. We are so glad you could join us."_

_Robin frantically looked around him. "Where are you?"_

"_We are everywhere. We are in your dreams…in your nightmares…even in your memories."_

_Robin suddenly realized something. "You're Dethl, aren't you? The demon who's been messing with Raven."_

"_You figured out our name! We're so thrilled! Now we don't have to go through the introductions for the two hundredth time. Yes, we are Dethl."_

"_What do you want, Dethl?" Robin demanded._

"_A world of chaos. A world of endless nightmares where we reign supreme over a land darker than the blackest night. Doesn't that sound so fun?"_

"…_You're insane."_

"_Are we? Or are you afraid to admit that you know not what our capabilities and motivations are? You cannot grasp our reasons for our actions, so you try to form your own small opinion based on what you were born to believe. Self-righteous fool! We are not insane! We are GOD!"_

"_I have a hard time believing that, since you're too cowardly to show yourself."_

"_You would call us a coward? Heh heh heh! Don't make us laugh! We are all-powerful! And to prove that…"_

_Suddenly an invisible force blew Robin off his feet. As he was trying to lift himself up, he noticed a black creature descending from the sky directly above him. He rolled to the side, and the thing slammed into the ground where he had once been with crushing force. Robin was instantly on his feet, ready for action. But he was not prepared for what he saw. Dethl straightened up and revealed its new form. It was tall and muscular, in the shape of a human. The silhouette had only one eye, which reminded Robin of…_

"_Slade," Robin breathed._

"_Not quite. We were born of nightmares, and we are an emissary of fear. Slade is your own personal demon, the one thing you are truly afraid of. Therefore, we saw it fit to assume his form, a manifestation of your greatest fears. With this new form at our disposal, we are one step closer to becoming the great Nightmare once again!"_

"…_I don't care what form you take, Dethl! I won't let you continue torturing Raven and Vaati! Not if I can help it!"_

_Robin charged at Slade-Dethl. But before he could crack Dethl's head open with his staff, the fiend morphed into a porcine shape and deflected the blow with a pitch-black halberd. Dethl twirled its weapon in its hand and said, "So you wish to fight us, then? This will be fun!"_

_And so the two of them began a brutal duel with their staff weapons, blocking, jabbing, and swinging wildly. Robin tried every maneuver he knew on Dethl, but it always managed to dodge or deflect each one. Finally, tiring of the fight, Dethl grabbed hold of the Bo staff and snapped it in two with its halberd. Then it backhanded Robin across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. The strength of the blow knocked the wind out of Robin, and he found he didn't have the strength to lift himself up. Dethl walked up to him and proceeded to impale Robin in the shoulder with its halberd. Robin's cry of pain brought a sadistic smile to its face. "Foolish mortal. You should not have tested us. You cannot beat us in your dreams, for this is where we are invincible! Soon you will learn your place in the new world, a place where you will experience your worst nightmares again and again for eternity! Now excuse us while we pay a visit to your friend Beast Boy!"_

_Dethl wrenched the halberd out of Robin's body and vanished into the darkness, its laugh fading into empty silence._

_Now it was Beast Boy's turn to feel the wrath of the Nightmare. He found himself in Dethl's lair, and immediately he felt like his very soul was in danger of being sucked into this lifeless void. "What the heck is this place? It's so empty!"_

"_Yes…it is. This is the beginning of a world where darkness permeates every fabric of existence. The air, the sky…even your mind."_

_The disembodied voice sent a chill down Beast Boy's spine. "Who are you? Where are you?"_

"_Our name is Dethl, Lord of Nightmares. And you must be the freak of nature everyone refers to as Beast Boy, hmm?"_

"_Hey, I am _not_ a freak of nature!"_

"_Oh, really? A green-skinned brat who changes into animals which inhabit this world? No wonder your beloved Terra abandoned you."_

_Beast Boy gritted his teeth in anger. "You leave her out of this!"_

"_Hee hee hee. You try to hide it from others, but you are torn up because of her betrayal. You loved her, and she spat in your face! Heheheheheheheh! How pathetic! We're almost disappointed that this is all your memories have to offer us. Oh, well, we'll make do with what we've got. Now, thanks to you, we have become the Nightmare again, the ultimate manifestation of terror and despair!"_

_The last few words were spoken with hints of Terra's voice mixed in with Dethl's. Suddenly a silhouetted figure of a young teenage girl shimmered into view in front of Beast Boy, which resembled Terra except for the large yellow eyes on its face. Beast Boy narrowed his eyes. "You're not Terra. I won't be confused by that little trick."_

_Beast Boy changed into a gorilla and charged at Terra-Dethl. Dethl teleported out of Beast Boy's path and reappeared behind him in its Ganon form. Dethl laughed mockingly. "Please. You may be a shapeshifter like us, but that still does not mean you can defeat us on our own turf! Come! Let us teach you a lesson in manners, boy!"_

_Dethl and Beast Boy clashed arms, pushing against each other with all their strength. Dethl then threw Beast Boy over its shoulder, where he landed on his side. Beast Boy then changed into a massive T-Rex and roared at Dethl. Dethl then changed its form again, morphing into a large orb with a single white eye with a greenish hue and two arms with spiked balls for hands. Again the two beasts grappled. Dethl dug its spikes into Beast Boy's cheeks in an effort to keep his gaping maw away from its face. The green Tyrannosaurus snarled in pain and backed up before charging again. As he neared, Dethl did a swift uppercut, landing a severe blow to Beast Boy's head. Beast Boy fell to the ground, stunned, and changed back into his human form. Dethl assumed its Ganon form once more and approached Beast Boy, whose face was bleeding profusely. "You heroes never learn. No matter the odds, you try to fight anyway. Do you not realize that there are times where your greatest efforts are all in vain? In the dream world, we cannot be defeated! However, we owe you our thanks for giving us our last form. So, for that, we will not make you suffer further for the moment. But don't worry. We will meet again, and when we do, you will know true power, and you will be destroyed!"_

_With that, Dethl proceeded to detach itself from Beast Boy's subconscious, leaving him to his pain._

Satisfied with its accomplishments, Dethl emerged from Beast Boy in its gaseous state and returned to Raven's room to continue feeding off her powers. It knew it would not be long before Raven would succumb to its influence, and then the world would fall to its knees before the Nightmare.


	14. A New Course of Action

**Chapter Thirteen: A New Course of Action**

_As soon as Raven discovered she was in the Nightmare's abyss, a cold dread gripped her mind. Right on cue, Dethl appeared again in its Ganon form, its evil grin plastered on its face. "Hello again, Daughter of Trigon. We just paid a little visit to your friends, and they have been most helpful to our cause."_

"_What did you do?" Raven demanded, trying to maintain her composure._

"_We sifted through their memories and fears and found alternate forms for us to use. Now, at last, we are truly the great Nightmare! Of course they tried to resist us, but we taught them a little lesson in manners. Now they shall think twice before challenging our might."_

"_If you've harmed them in any way, I'll…"_

"_You'll what?" Dethl interrupted. "We shall do as we please, and there is nothing you can do that is going to stop us. Haven't you realized that already, Raven? Or do we have to remind you again?"_

_In response, Raven charged up her magic. Dethl shook its head and raised its hand. "So be it."_

_A weapon appeared in its hand, but this was not the halberd it usually carried. This time, it was a pitch-black rapier. "Let's see if this session will make you realize your folly."_

"_Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"_

_Beams of dark energy blasted out of her fingers and bore down on the Nightmare. Dethl coolly put its fist in front of its face, and the attack was effortlessly repelled. Then, with a speed that would have made Kid Flash jealous, Dethl reached Raven. Before she could recover, Dethl had already plunged its sword deep into her navel, the tip emerging out of her backside. The demon then lifted her up into the air, the blade still in her body. The pain was so great that she couldn't even scream. Dethl pulled out its blade and watched her collapse in agony. As she lay there, spitting up blood, Dethl proceeded to slash her arms, legs, and stomach repeatedly, leaving numerous bloody lacerations all over her body. And as it did this, the Nightmare was giggling like an insane child, relishing each and every moment of the pain it was inflicting upon Raven._

_When the attack finally ceased, it stepped back. Raven was lying in a pool of her own blood, twitching slightly as she felt death take her. Her last thoughts were, _It's…it's all…a dream…Please…Azar…Let this be…just…another…d…dream…

When Dethl's sleeping spell finally wore off, each of the Teen Titans woke up and immediately felt excruciating pain from the injuries inflicted by Dethl in their dreams. Vaati was the only one who awoke without feeling pain, for Dethl had ignored him completely. Buster had desperately attempted waking them up, but the sleeping spell had made his efforts futile. When they had finally awakened, he was alarmed by how much pain they seemed to be in. Vaati was the first to stand up. His first thought was Raven. He quickly ran towards her room and burst through the door. There she was, lying on the floor, moaning in agony and barely moving. "Raven!" Vaati cried, rushing to her side.

He lifted her up so she could lean against her bed. Her eyes were listless, and she looked like she could black out any second. "Raven! Raven, look at me! Stay awake! You hear me? _Stay awake_!"

Her gaze finally managed to meet his, and she began to cry. Vaati took her into his arms and quietly held her in his warm embrace. He stroked her head, doing his best to comfort her. She cried into his shoulder and squeezed him tightly. Vaati suddenly felt tears streak down his own face as he felt her pain. "Shh," he whispered soothingly. "It's okay. You're all right."

And so they sat like that for what seemed like forever, paying little heed to the other Titans who were slowly recovering from Dethl's mind raid. Buster came to them and stood outside the door. "My Lord, are you alright?" he queried, his voice laced with concern.

Vaati stole a quick glance at the Darknut and said, "Leave us. Tend to the others. I'm taking care of her."

Buster nodded and strode off. Vaati slowly cast his gaze heavenward and whispered, "You will pay for this, Dethl. Mark my words, _you will pay._"

Several hours later, the Titans had somewhat recovered from Dethl's attack and were now sitting around the table, with the exception of Raven and Vaati. "This is the last straw," Robin began. "Dethl messed with all of us, and he's hurt Raven pretty badly. This has to stop before it gets out of control."

"Yeah well," Cyborg answered. "How exactly are you gonna do this? He's pretty much invincible in our dreams, and we have no idea how we're gonna get him out of Raven's body."

Robin rubbed his head. "There has to be a way. If he was able to reach us all in our dreams and put us all under a sleeping spell, that means he can enter our physical world. Notice how he does it whenever we're asleep. Don't you think that means something?"

"Perhaps he does not wish to risk fighting us in the real world," Starfire surmised. "If he is not in the dream world, then he is vulnerable, and he does not believe he is strong enough to fight all of us at the same time."

"Right now, that's true," Beast Boy interjected. "But he's been growing stronger thanks to Raven's powers. If this keeps on goin' long enough, he'll be able to wipe us off the face of existence without even tryin'!"

"Right," Robin said. "Which means we don't have much more time. Unfortunately, I think the only method of stopping Dethl lies with Raven and her spell books. But if we talk about it in the open, Dethl will probably hear about it and take measures to prevent that from happening."

"Then we can do nothing?" Starfire asked.

"At the moment, probably not," Robin replied. "But there might be a spell in Raven's books that might help. But for now we have to wait. Let them figure it out. It'll give Dethl less of a warning."

Vaati and Raven were in her room, preparing to utilize their connection. As they began meditating, the link was established.

_They now stood once more in the black expanse. Vaati's eyes were on Raven. "This has to stop. Dethl has caused you too much harm, and his power is growing too quickly. We have to do _something_! I can't…I don't want to see you hurt anymore…"_

_Raven kept a straight face, but she could not hide the emotion in her eyes. She knew she couldn't handle Dethl for much longer, and she feared what Dethl could do once it was through with her, what it would do to the world and her friends. There had to be a way to stop this menace. "I…I think the only hope we have at this point…is to see whether I have any spells in my books that could be of use to us. We should find it as quickly as possible so Dethl will have less time to find a way to impede on our progress."_

"_I cannot help you with that. I'm unfamiliar with the literary symbols of this world."_

_Raven sighed. "Well, let's do it."_

The connection was broken, and immediately Raven grabbed one of her spellbooks and started flipping through its pages while Vaati observed quietly. After a few minutes, she cast the book aside and opened another one. She almost had given up on this one when a sudden spell caught her eye. She started reading the inscription and said, "I think I found something."

"What is it?"

"It says it's a spell meant to cleanse someone's consciousness of a hostile entity by allowing others to enter that mind and try to eject the spirit from the host's body by grabbing hold of them. Once someone does, then the spirit is expulsed."

"…This could have been useful earlier."

"Get the others, quick."

Vaati stood up and rushed out of the room. When he found the other Titans sitting around the table, he cried, "All of you! Get off your asses and come to Raven's room immediately! We're going to purge Raven of Dethl's influence!"

They gave each other quick glances before they shot out of their seats and followed the Wind Mage. When they were all in Raven's room, they found her sitting on the floor, with a circle full of mysterious symbols and candles in front of her. "Sit around the circle and do as I say," she commanded.

They did so, and then Raven placed her spellbook on her lap, opening it to the chosen spell. "Close your eyes and clear your mind. Once you do, I will perform the spell, and we will enter my mind. There we shall battle Dethl together. We cannot defeat him in my dreams, but if someone manages to grab him, we can pull him out of my dreams and into the real world."

Everyone did as they were told, and Raven began chanting the spell. Slowly, they all descended into a trance-like state and entered Raven's world of dreams. As they took in their surroundings, they heard a familiar voice snicker, "We've been waiting for you. Welcome to hell."


	15. Plunge Into Darkness

**Chapter Fourteen: Plunge Into Darkness**

Vaati and the Teen Titans all watched as the Nightmare Dethl faded into view before them, a mischievous smile plastered on its face. Everybody immediately got into their fighting stances, glaring hatefully at the demon. Dethl snickered. "We know of your plan. Do not think for a moment you will succeed. However, this might just be fun! Are you up for a little game of tag? YOU'RE IT!"

"Let's play," Vaati snarled.

"Titans! GO!" Robin yelled.

Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg all fired their projectiles at Dethl, who easily withstood all their attacks. Robin, Vaati, and Beast Boy all charged at Dethl and it teleported out of their path and reappeared on the other side of the field. "Too slow!" it cackled mockingly.

Starfire flung her energy discs at Dethl, but Dethl held up its halberd and deflected them right back at the other Titans. They all managed to dodge the blasts, but were unprepared for Dethl's next attack. It twirled its halberd over its head, summoning a horde of flaming bats which dive-bombed the heroes. Vaati blasted several of them with a gust of wind, snuffing them out. The other bats then flew off.

Dethl laughed at their efforts. "Is this the best you can do? This is almost too easy!"

Vaati gritted his teeth. "Enough of your games, Dethl!"

"Don't you know better than to talk to your father like that?" Dethl mocked.

"Die!"

Vaati propelled himself forward with his wind magic and readied his sword. But as the wind mage neared Dethl, the creature vanished into the darkness and reappeared behind Raven. Before she could react, Dethl lashed out with a wave of darkness, knocking her to the ground. Starfire immediately rushed to her side as she flung numerous energy blasts at the demon. Once again, Dethl swatted them with its halberd, causing them to ricochet towards the Titans. Starfire couldn't dodge in time and was struck by her own attack. She fell to the ground in a daze. Raven rose to her feet and cried her mantra, unleashing everything she had at Dethl, but it was unfazed. The Nightmare snickered and then backhanded her across the face, launching her into the quickly approaching Vaati, knocking them both to the ground.

However, Dethl did not see the next attack coming until it was too late. Cyborg blasted its back with his cannon, and as it was turning around, Robin descended upon it and kicked it in the face. Dethl stumbled backwards and shook its head, but before it could strike back, Beast Boy in his gorilla form tackled it and wrapped it in a bear hug. Everyone suddenly realized that they had succeeded as the surrounding landscape began to melt away, but did not notice the evil smirk appear on Dethl's face…

As soon as everyone awakened, they instantly realized something was wrong. Raven's room was a complete mess, and the walls, ceiling, and windows were all completely destroyed, exposing everyone to the outside world. The next thing they noticed was the sky. There was no sun, and the entire sky was filled with dark red clouds, with something like large black veins huddled near the edge of the horizon. The air felt cold, empty, and lifeless. Not a single bird flew through the air. Vaati and Raven stood up and walked to the broken window which overlooked the city, and were immediately astonished by what they saw.

"The city…it's…it's empty," Raven whispered. "I can't sense anyone out there."

"What happened?" Robin asked to no one in particular.

"Are the new accommodations to your liking?" a disgustingly familiar voice asked suddenly.

Everyone whirled around to see Dethl floating above them, a smug grin on its face. "What have you done, Dethl?" Raven demanded, forcing herself to remain calm.

Dethl snickered and lifted its arms. "Our world has at last come to be! A world of endless darkness and despair, with no trace of life or hope anywhere! While it's true that your little spell forced us to abandon poor Raven's body, she served her purpose in the end. Now our powers are greater than ever! We are the masters of this world!"

The Nightmare cackled with glee at its victory, while Vaati and the Titans could only watch in fury. When the laughing subsided, Dethl looked at Vaati. "We took the liberty of restoring your powers, Vaati. Consider it a gift from father to son. Not that it will help you."

As it said this, numerous creatures began to issue forth from the darkness around them, all of them a dead ashy black in color, and all of them thirsty for blood. There were far too many for the Titans to fight, and they were already weary from the first fight with the Nightmare. Nevertheless, they prepared themselves for the inevitable battle. As the monsters neared, suddenly there was a commotion from the rear of their forces. Everyone then noticed a burly black-armored knight charging through the horde of demons, swinging his behemoth of a sword wildly as he made his way towards the heroes. The remaining demons cleared a path for the Darknut in order to avoid his rampage. "Run, now!" he cried to the Titans.

They all made a break for it, Vaati blasting demons aside with powerful wind spells. They ran down the corridors of the remnants of Titan's Tower as quickly as they could, eventually escaping out of the front door with the demons close behind. Suddenly the demons stopped chasing them, causing the Titans to halt and turn their heads. As they did, the ground trembled violently, almost throwing them off their feet. Slowly, ominously, a volcano burst forth in the downtown area of Jump City, spewing fire and rocks into the air. Four obelisks appeared, one in the bay, one on the face of the volcano, one atop a distant peak, and another on the outskirts of the ruins of Jump City.

As they watched this, the sound of Dethl's laughter echoed behind them. Everyone whirled around to face the Lord of Nightmares. "Heh heh heh…Now we are the undisputed masters of this world! Even so, you two could be a viable threat to us."

Its gaze shifted to Vaati and Raven. "We'll have to remedy that. You'll thank us once we're finished."

Dethl snapped its fingers, and immediately a rip in dimensions opened up behind Vaati and Raven and began pulling them in. Buster was the first to react and grabbed hold of Vaati's arm, who in turn had grabbed Raven's. "No, my Lord!"

Before the other Titans could assist, though, Buster, Raven, and Vaati were all pulled into the portal, which immediately sealed once it swallowed them. "No," Robin breathed in horror.

Immediately, Dethl's demons pounced on the remaining Teen Titans and subdued them.

XXXXXX

The next thing any of them knew, the three of them fell upon the hard ground in a heap, the portal sealing shut behind them. They slowly rose to their feet and took in the scene. Vaati recognized it instantly and gasped. "This…this is Hyrule Castle…Dear Goddesses, Dethl sent us to Hyrule!"

Buster was the first to notice the bodies. "G…good Goddesses…"

The three of them stared, horrified, at the bodies strewn around the courtyard. Soldiers, maids, and other castle servants lay in pools of their own blood, their stricken faces locked in expressions of terror and agony. But it wasn't the bodies that made Vaati's blood run cold, but the man standing in the middle of the scene who was turning around. Raven managed a single whisper as she looked upon the man she had only seen in Vaati's memories.

"Ganon…"


	16. A Grim Predicament

**Chapter Fifteen: A Grim Predicament**

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed in surprise as he saw the Wind Mage standing behind him. "Well, well, well. It seems you're not so easy to kill after all, Vaati."

"You were never really good at getting rid of important foes, Ganondorf," Vaati responded icily.

Then Ganondorf's gaze shifted to Raven. "And what have we here?" he sneered. "Your latest conquest, I presume?"

"Shut up! It's not something you would understand."

"Oh, dear me! I don't believe it! The Wind Mage Vaati has fallen in love!"

A roar of laughter escaped his lips. "As if you couldn't be any more pathetic! Hahaha!"

"I'm the pathetic one?" Vaati snarled. "You're one to talk, seeing how you slaughter innocent people like cattle when you don't get your way. You're not so different from a rabid animal."

"Mind your tongue, boy," Ganondorf replied darkly. "I'm in a good mood today. I got what I wanted, and I now have a nice scapegoat to take the fall for me."

At that moment, two Moblins burst out of the door, carrying an unconscious Princess Zelda. Ganondorf glanced at them and said, "Link should be here soon. When he sees you and your friends, he'll assume the worst. Pray he grants you a quick death."

With that, the King of Evil and his minions disappeared with Princess Zelda. Not three seconds later, a familiar-looking boy ran into the courtyard, sword drawn. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the corpses before he noticed Vaati, Raven, and Buster. "You…you monster! VAATI! _What have you done_?"

Buster instinctively assumed his fighting stance, but Vaati put a hand in front of him to stop him. "I am not to blame!" Vaati answered at the fuming hero. "In fact, I'm not even supposed to be here."

"Liar! Tell me where Zelda is, and I'll make sure you die quickly!"

"Ganondorf took her, you fool, not I!"

"Have it your way!"

Link rushed at Vaati, his eyes ablaze with hatred. Vaati made no move, but Buster placed himself between Link and Vaati and held his sword at the ready. Suddenly Link was lifted into the air by a black cloud of energy, preventing him from moving. "Stop this! Stop it right now!" Raven yelled as she held Link aloft with a spell.

"Put me down!"

"Not until you listen to reason! What Vaati said was true! We didn't do this. It was Ganondorf."

"That's impossible! I killed him myself! I watched him die!"

"Then how am I still here?" Vaati said. "You watched Ganondorf seemingly destroy me, and yet here I am."

Link said nothing, just continued to struggle against Raven's magic. "I won't release you until you're willing to hear what we have to say," Raven added.

Link glared at Vaati, and after a few moments hissed, "Fine."

Raven lowered him to the ground and released her hold on him. Link picked himself up, never taking his eyes off Vaati. He still had his sword in his hand, ready for anything. "My name is Raven," Raven began. "I'm from another world. After Ganon defeated Vaati, a demon called Dethl opened a portal and took him to my world. Dethl used me to take over my world, and then he sent us here, right while Ganondorf was taking a blond-haired woman captive."

"Zelda?"

Raven nodded. "We don't want to be here. We want to go back to my world to stop Dethl, but we don't know how to get back."

"Look, boy," Vaati added curtly. "I know you won't believe us, but we_ are_ telling the truth. If I had taken Princess Zelda, would I still be here right now? No. I'd be at the Palace of Winds, modifying my defenses. Ganondorf was relying on you to be distracted by me so he could conduct his plans in secrecy. Think about it. He's done it before."

Link couldn't help but agree. "If what you're telling me is true, then we're gonna need the Master Sword."

Vaati's lip twitched slightly at the mention of the legendary Blade of Evil's Bane. Raven looked to him for an explanation. "The Master Sword is a magical sword with the ability to banish or destroy evil," Vaati said. "It's the most effective weapon against someone like Ganon, the first thing Link and his ancestors turn to for assistance."

"A weapon we dark monsters fear above all others," Buster added, shifting uncomfortably.

"If you're lying, the sword will tell me, so you had better be speaking the truth," Link responded.

"Fair enough," Vaati said. "Come, let's find that blasted blade and deal with Ganon. Maybe we can figure out a way to get back to your world on the way, Raven."

"Let's hope so. But I don't think we should leave these bodies to rot."

"Leave that to me," Link replied. "I'll go tell everybody in the town that Ganon attacked the castle and killed everybody inside. You wait for me in the Lost Woods."

The Hero of Time then took off towards the town. Vaati watched him depart and then said, "I'll teleport us there. It will be much quicker that way."


	17. The Master Sword

**Chapter Sixteen: The Master Sword**

A solitary owl perched on a tree branch with its eyes closed was suddenly shaken out of its sleep by a flash of light amidst a gust of wind which heralded the arrival of two pale figures in purple capes and a large black knight. The miffed bird flew off to find a quieter place to rest. Raven gazed into the forest and narrowed her eyes. "I sense…magic inside that forest."

"That's why it's called the Lost Woods. If the magic causes you to stray from your path, you will become lost, and be forced to wander the woods for eternity until the skin falls off your bones and you are reduced to a Stalfos."

"Stalfos?" Raven asked.

"Skeleton," Buster clarified as he held his stomach and attempted to stave off his motion sickness.

A few minutes later, Link descended from the sky, gripping the talons of a bird that should have been too small to carry him. The bird lowered him to the ground before flying off. "H…how did…" Raven began.

"Don't ask," Vaati interrupted before she could finish. "It just wouldn't make sense if he told you."

"Well, I'm a little surprised you actually came," Link said. "But that doesn't change the fact that I still suspect you're up to something."

Vaati let out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever. Let's just go and find that damned sword."

And so they began trudging through the foliage for what seemed hours before a mischievous voice above them said, "Oh, did you come back to play with me?"

Everyone looked up to see a little imp with scarecrow-like features crouched on a tree branch, staring at them with glowing eyes. "Not today, Skull Kid," Link answered. "I need you to take me to the Sacred Forest Grove."

The Skull Kid seemed disappointed. His devilish grin turned into a frown for a moment before he said, "Okay."

They followed the Skull Kid through the woods for the better part of an hour, Vaati and Raven's capes constantly getting snagged on bushes and branches, which irked them both greatly. Finally they arrived at some old ruins, where the Skull Kid turned around and bounded away, saying, "Play with me next time!" as he left.

The four of them slowly approached the ruins, and they discovered a sword in the clearing within the ruins with its blade imbedded in a pedestal with the mark of the Triforce on it. As they gazed upon the legendary blade, each and every one of them suddenly felt as though it were scrutinizing them. Buster seemed to be the one unnerved the most by this. Nevertheless, Link, Vaati, Raven, and Buster all continued walking towards the Master Sword. Vaati glared at the sword that had nearly killed him less than a week ago.

_O Hero of Legend, why come you once more to my resting place?_

Everybody jumped at the voice, but Link knew already that it was the sword that was speaking. _You brought the very enemy you used me to fight against._

"I…I need to know…" Link began.

_No. The Sorcerer of Winds has not lied to you._

Raven could suddenly feel the sword turn its attention towards her. _O Daughter of Trigon, you hail not from this world. Tell me, why are you here?_

Raven swallowed the lump in her throat. "I…I, Vaati, and Buster were sent here against our will by the demon known as Dethl."

_Dethl…Heart of the Nightmare. The very same creature that sired the Sorcerer of Winds._

"Do not remind me!" Vaati snarled angrily. "I curse the day I was brought into this world because of him!"

_Denying the truth achieves little. However, I can understand how you feel. I know why you brought such chaos down upon this land, and while I do not believe you had the right to do what you did, I can see how you would be driven to such extremes. But that is not important now._

The sword now addressed the entire group. _Yet again, Hyrule stands on the verge of darkness. I can sense that the King of Darkness is preparing to renew his assault on our world. And alas, his powers are even greater than before, for he has tapped even further into the Triforce of Power. He has already revived two of his trusted servants, and has gained the service of another powerful entity not yet encountered by any previous hero. Veran, Sorceress of Shadows. Onox, General of Darkness. Shanzom, Lord of Wizzrobes. Very soon, these three commanders will lead Ganon's armies in an all-out attack upon Hyrule. Ganon does not intend to even bother with the four temples. He seeks to crush Hyrule with a swift strike. With the princess gone, the soldiers of Hyrule will have lost a great deal of morale. You are their best hope._

"You honestly think the four of us can fight an entire _army_ of monsters?" Link cried. "Going through dungeons and defeating a couple monsters in each room is one thing, but to face a whole army…I was never meant for war!"

_No. I do not expect you to fight this war alone. Sorcerer of Winds, like Ganon, you possess the ability to summon monsters. You must create an army of monsters to combat Ganon's monsters, in essence, fight fire with fire._

"That's…that's crazy!" Link cried.

_Let me finish. Should you succeed in the coming war, the Goddesses will see fit to return you and your companions to their world._

The sword focused now on Link. _O Hero of Legend, I grant you permission once more to use me in your quest. Release me from the Pedestal of Time…_

Link nodded and stepped up to the Pedestal, slowly wrapping his hands around the blue hilt. With a little pull, the Master Sword slid out of the Pedestal of Time. Link did a few experimental swings to re-familiarize himself with the weapon. _The spirits tell me that Ganon's war will begin in three days' time, and it will start with an attack on the town. He has rebuilt his fortress on Death Mountain and has already begun building his army. O Sorcerer of Winds, your ancient palace will be a safe haven for you to do the same. Take us there, and we will begin._

Vaati didn't like the fact a sword was telling him what to do, but he could see the wisdom in its decision. "Well then," he sighed. "Off to the Palace of Winds, then."

"Do we have to teleport?" Buster queried unhappily. "It makes me queasy."

Vaati ignored the Darknut as he performed the spell, and they all disappeared inside a tornado.

2


	18. Ganon's Gambit

**Chapter Seventeen: Ganon's Gambit**

Ganondorf made himself comfortable in his throne as he looked upon his three new minions. One was a turquoise-skinned woman clad in a rather revealing sorceress's outfit. Her dark green hair was set in a most peculiar fashion, in the shape of a seven. Next to her was a golden-armored soldier with a pointed helm with three eyeholes. His armor was in the fashion of an Iron Knuckle, and in his hands he carried a morning-star mace of incredible size. At his other side was a figure clad in golden robes and sorcerer's hat. Over its face was a bird-like mask. It carried a staff with a red jewel. "Veran, Onox, Shanzom," Ganondorf addressed them respectively. "In three days the attack begins. Onox, I want you to lead a force of Moblins, Stalfos, and Lizalfos and strike the Goron capital. Kill all who resist, enslave those who don't."

Onox smirked and nodded. "Veran, you will take a battalion of Iron Knuckles and Bokoblins and attack the Zoras' stronghold," Ganondorf continued.

"Yes, my Lord," Veran said, bowing.

"And Shanzom, I want you to take a legion of Wizzrobes and Iron Knuckles and attack Hyrule Town."

Shanzom said nothing. "If any of you encounter the Hero of Time, crush him! And bring his body back to me so I may pry the Triforce of Courage out of his corpse!"

The three of them bowed to Ganondorf and left the room. Ganondorf then turned his attention towards Zelda, who was encased in a crystal and just waking up. The young girl shook her head and glared at Ganondorf with an expression of pure hatred wholly uncharacteristic of her. "Ah, the princess awakes!" Ganondorf cried with a cruel smile.

"You never learn, do you, Ganon?" Zelda retorted. "Link will come soon, and he will destroy you once again and…"

"Save you from little ol' me, heard it before," Ganondorf interrupted, waving his hand nonchalantly. "And it just so happens that I _have_ learned. I'm not going to repeat my last mistakes. I've decided not to bother imprisoning sages, or acquiring special stones, or corrupting decrepit temples. No, this time…"

Ganondorf's smile grew wider as he chuckled. "This time, I have decided to send my armies all over Hyrule and enslave the people before any fighting can begin! All my troops will focus on forcing the submission of all of Hyrule's armies and finding Link. He's never had to face my armies head-on, hence why he's always won. And since he is currently occupied with a convenient distraction, he won't see what's coming until it's too late."

Zelda's curiosity overpowered her hatred. "Convenient distraction?"

"Yes. The Wind Mage Vaati has seen it fit to return at this time, and right while I was finishing raiding Hyrule Castle, no less! He was accompanied by another young woman who bore a rather peculiar resemblance to that upstart whelp, and he had a Darknut with him as well. I made sure before I left with you that Link had been made aware of what had transpired there. Once he saw Vaati, well, knowing how they are, they'll be too distracted fighting each other."

Ganondorf leaned back in his throne. "And as for that girl who was with him, I think I might have some fun with her if I happen to capture her."

His fiendish grin made Zelda's skin crawl. _Whoever she is, I hope that fate does not befall her, _she thought to herself as Ganondorf conjured a bottle of wine and a glass for himself.

XXXXXX

As they arrived at the ancient Palace of Winds, Buster removed his larger helmet and knelt over the side of the platform to hurl. When he suddenly noticed exactly how high up in the sky they were, he moaned, "Oh, Goddesses," and threw up.

Everyone else flinched at the noise. "I wonder how people below us are going to react to that," Link mused as he watched.

XXXXXX

"MY DRESS IS RUINED!" a random woman screeched after she had been doused in a mysterious and smelly goop that fell from the sky as she had just been walking out of a tailor's shop.

XXXXXX

Meanwhile, Vaati led his companions through the empty halls of the Palace of Winds, making sure they knew where everything was so as to not get lost. Link, however, knew the way by heart, having memorized the dungeon map of the Palace. They spent the day doing this, and as the moon slowly rose over the horizon, Vaati conjured several beds in a room near his personal quarters and then left to begin building the resistance army.

Buster left to attend to his own affairs, (a.k.a., wander aimlessly around the Palace) leaving Link and Raven alone in the bedroom. Link was not feeling tired, preferring to stare out the window with his hands clasped behind his back, breathing in the cool night air. Raven was making herself comfortable in her bed when she heard Link ask, "So, what's it like?"

"Excuse me?"

"To be involved with Vaati?" Link turned around and folded his arms.

"That's none of your business. He's not as cold-blooded as you'd like to believe. I've seen the real Vaati, something you never gave him a chance to show."

"Is that so?" Link cocked his head, his tone unimpressed.

"Do you know why he searched for power? To get respect. It wasn't to enslave Hyrule and usher in a new age of darkness like Ganondorf or Dethl."

"Do you know that he unleashed monsters from an enchanted prison, turned a Princess of Hyrule into stone, and kidnapped dozens of maids?"

"Compare his deeds with Ganon's. Suddenly he's not so bad anymore, is he?"

Link huffed and turned around to stare out the window again. Suddenly he jumped back, startled, as a massive, masked bird flew by his window and began circling the palace like a vulture. Raven rose from her bed and joined him at the window. "What is that thing?"

"That's…that's the Helmaroc King!" Link uttered.

The two of them watched the blue bird screech as it passed by the window once more, its orange and yellow tail feathers flapping in the breeze. Raven could not help but marvel at the majestic avian lord. Eventually she returned to her bed and pulled the covers over her, while Link, being the insomniac he was, continued to stare out the window at the moon. So passed the night.

2


	19. Life at the Palace of Winds

**Chapter Eighteen: Life at the Palace of Winds**

The next morning, when Raven awoke, Link was not in the room, and the Helmaroc King was nowhere to be seen. Curious, she hovered out the window and looked up. To her surprise she saw the enormous bird roosting in a large alcove carved into the side of one of the towers of the Palace. It was a rather amusing sight to see the feared Helmaroc King sleeping in the same position as a common pigeon for one who was familiar with the beast. Smiling slightly, she floated through the window and walked out of the room.

Immediately she was surprised by the multitude of monsters meandering through the halls. All of them had the image of an eye emblazoned somewhere on their person. Several of them gave Raven a passing glance, registering her as an ally per Vaati's orders. Elsewhere around the castle, other monsters were regarding Link with an indifferent hostility borne of their kind's natural hatred of the Hero, though they did not attack him. Buster had been approached earlier by Vaati and was told he'd been granted the position of Commander of the Resistance Forces. This proclamation had almost made the Darknut faint, but he managed to maintain his composure.

Raven walked down the hall, taking care not to bump into any of the gruff-looking monsters as she approached Vaati's personal chambers. She opened the door slightly and knocked. "You in here?"

Vaati's exhausted voice answered, "Yes, please come in."

"You don't sound good," Raven responded as she shut the door behind her.

When she saw Vaati turn towards her and noticed the circles under his eyes, she added, "You don't look good either."

Vaati rubbed his eyes with one hand and sighed. "I've been up all night conjuring monsters. Reviving the Helmaroc King was a particularly tiresome task. He required a lot of power to be restored."

"That was the bird flying around outside last night, right?"

Vaati nodded as he sat down at the foot of his opulent bed. "I trust that idiot hero hasn't decided to practice his skills on my warriors yet?"

"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen him. And I'm pretty sure you would have heard about it if he did."

"Hmm."

Vaati rubbed his stomach as he felt it growl. "I have a few Wizzrobes working on breakfast right now. I commissioned them to steal some seeds from the orchards outside of the town and bring them up here to start a garden. They'll use magic to hasten the growing process. Everything should be ready in about an hour. Until then, I need some rest."

Vaati kicked off his sandals and removed his hat. "I'll leave you, then," Raven offered, turning to leave.

As Vaati settled into his bed, he said, "If you grow bored, I suggest you spend some time familiarizing yourself with the Helmaroc King. Let him know you are a friend of mine so he won't get edgy whenever I'm with you."

Raven nodded. "Sweet dreams, Vaati," she said as she left.

XXXXXX

"My Lord," a Stalfos called to its master as it entered Ganondorf's throne room, remembering to bow as he stood before the Gerudo. "The scouts have brought back some interesting news."

"Oh?" Ganondorf said, raising his eyebrows in interest as he straightened himself up in his seat. "What do you have?"

"The Helmaroc King has been spotted circling around the Palace of Winds."

"The Helmaroc King? I thought that useless buzzard was dead."

"He was, My Lord."

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed as he stroked his chin curtain. _Vaati._

"What course of action do you recommend?" the Stalfos asked.

Ganondorf rose from his throne. "I will deal with this matter accordingly."

He walked out of the throne room and left the fortress. He looked up at the smoke-covered sky and raised his hands as he summoned an old servant from a previous attempt at conquest. As the spell neared completion, Ganondorf roared, "Argorok, I summon you!"

At these words, a cloud of black magic appeared before him, and from within it emerged a great black dragon encased in armor. Its helmet completely covered its eyes, if it had any, and its tongue flicked out of its mouth as the dragon freed itself from the dark cloud and drew itself up to its full height. When it sensed Ganondorf's presence, the creature arched back in surprise._ L…Lord Ganondorf…_? Argorok whispered telepathically. _You have revived me…_

"Yes, my faithful servant," Ganondorf answered with a smirk. "I have need of your services once more."

_What is your command, My Lord?_

"The Wind Mage Vaati has returned. He is currently holed up in his Palace of Winds, and he has revived the Helmaroc King. He could be a potential threat to my plans. I want you to see what he's up to. And if he plans to fight against me, kill the Helmaroc King."

_As you command._

Argorok spread out his wings in preparation to take off, but was halted by Ganondorf's next words. "And also, see if you can bring me the girl who is with him. I want to know more about her."

_It shall be done._

Argorok took to the skies to fulfill his orders, leaving Ganondorf to further contemplate his battle plans.

XXXXXX

Raven flew back up to where she had last seen the Helmaroc King, and discovered that the bird had awakened. It stared at her inquisitively with glowing green eyes. Raven could sense that the Helmaroc King was intelligent as it regarded her in half-interest. "Um…hi," Raven began.

The Helmaroc King cocked its head. Raven suddenly felt a voice enter her mind; it was a telepathic animal. _Who are you?_

"I'm Raven. I'm a…friend of your master's."

The Helmaroc King chirped. _You are more than friends. You caught Master Vaati's interest when he was in your world. Quite a feat._

Raven blushed. "I guess…"

_Master Vaati told me much about you. To know someone who truly understands him…he is fortunate. Until you came along, he had only me. Sometimes, it was rather depressing to listen to. Nevertheless, I was much better off with him than that odious toad, Ganon…_

"You served Ganon?"

The Helmaroc King cawed disapprovingly. _Served? I was no servant. I was a slave! Had he not used his magic on me, I would have never served him. My allegiance lies with the skies and its master._

"Good to know," Raven said with a half-smile.

_Tell me more about where you come from._

"Well, I…" Raven began, but suddenly stopped when she noticed the Helmaroc King look worriedly behind her and stand up from its perch.

Before she could turn around, she heard a tremendous roar reverberate through the air. The Helmaroc King screeched as it took to the skies. _We are under attack! Tell Master Vaati! A dragon is come!_

2


	20. Argorok vs the Helmaroc King

**Chapter Nineteen: Argorok vs. The Helmaroc King**

Raven whirled around and saw a black armored dragon as large as the Helmaroc King boring down on the Palace of Winds. Raven watched as the Helmaroc King dove towards the dragon, crying out a shrill warning. The dragon responded by shooting a jet of flame at the great bird. The Helmaroc King swerved out of the way, with the dragon following close behind. Raven flew back through the window towards Vaati's bedchamber and pushed the door open, stirring Vaati out of his sleep. "Vaati, the Helmaroc King's being attacked by a dragon!" Raven cried urgently.

Vaati sat bolt upright, all weariness leaving him. "_What_?"

The Wind Mage leaped out of his bed, not bothering to put on his hat or sandals as he and Raven both went back to the window just in time to see the Helmaroc King ram the dragon in the gut, knocking the wind out of it. The dragon spiraled toward the ground but eventually regained its balance, sweeping around in an arc back towards the waiting bird. Argorok opened its maw as it neared the Helmaroc King, but as a stream of flame escaped from its mouth, the Helmaroc King flapped its wings at the dragon, pushing away the flames and blowing Argorok off course. The Helmaroc King again rammed into the dragon, and the two of them tumbled through the air.

Argorok managed to break out of Helmaroc's hold, and the two of them circled each other, trying to find the right moment to strike. Finally Argorok dove downward, prompting Helmaroc to follow it down. As Helmaroc came closer, though, Argorok suddenly veered upwards. Helmaroc tried to follow, but Argorok managed to position itself directly behind the bird. A jet of flames shot out of the dragon's mouth, setting Helmaroc's tail feathers on fire. The bird suddenly realized the extent of its peril and screeched in alarm.

The Helmaroc King slowed down, allowing Argorok to close the distance between itself and the masked bird, and it slammed into Helmaroc's body with all the force it could muster. Dragon and bird spun through the air and crashed through the walls of the main hall. By now the commotion had attracted the attention of every occupant in the Palace, including Link and Buster, and they all gathered in the hallway, where Argorok and the Helmaroc King were emerging from the dust and debris. The two winged beasts clawed at each other with their talons and pecked and snapped at one another. Vaati and Raven soon caught up with the battling monsters and watched in earnest.

Argorok seized ahold of Helmaroc's helmet with its mouth and attempted to tear it off. In response, Helmaroc slammed the dragon into the wall outside Vaati's bedchamber. As the dragon reeled its head back in surprise, Helmaroc tore off the armor protecting Argorok's belly. The steel plates clattered to the ground. Furious, Argorok head-butted Helmaroc, producing a resounding clank of metal on metal. Argorok recovered first and bit into Helmaroc's wing. The Helmaroc King attempted to shake off the dragon as it felt the pain, but the more it struggled, the tighter Argorok closed its jaws. Finally, with a twist of its head, Argorok snapped the bones in Helmaroc's wing, breaking it.

Helmaroc screeched in pain and fell to the ground. Argorok immediately fell upon Helmaroc and prepared another blast of its fire breath. But as it released the flame, a black energy shield was suddenly erected around the Helmaroc King, dissipating the flames. Surprised, Argorok clawed at the force field with its talons, but it refused to budge. Furious, it turned around to find the source of the trouble, and found a girl with an uncanny resemblance to the Wind Mage standing next to her save for her black hair, her arms enshrouded by the same dark energy protecting the Helmaroc King.

The dragon's lips curled into a sinister sneer, smoke billowing out of its nostrils. _So, you are the girl Lord Ganondorf is so interested in._

Raven jumped slightly as she heard Argorok's voice in her head. "What does your master want with me?" she asked, glaring daggers at Argorok.

_Why don't you find out for yourself?_

Before Raven could react, Argorok seized her in its talons and dove out the window. "Raven!" Vaati cried in horror.

The Wind Mage quickly morphed into the flying eye and took off after Argorok. As the dragon soared through the air towards Death Mountain, Raven struggled fiercely in its vice-like grip. "Urgh…Let…me…go!"

Argorok ignored her as it continued on. Suddenly it was struck in the back by a burst of energy that made the dragon cry out in pain and anger. It turned its head and beheld Vaati close behind him. Quickly it spiraled around to face the eye and snarled. Then, projecting its telepathic voice so both Raven and Vaati could hear it, Argorok hissed, _Come any closer, and I will crush the life out of her._

The proclamation convinced Vaati to halt, and the two of them stared coldly at each other less than fifty feet apart. _There's a good Wind Mage. If you value her life, you will return to your little Palace and allow me to bring her to Lord Ganondorf. Take comfort in the fact that it does not seem he plans to kill her…yet!_

A series of guttural grunts that Vaati interpreted as laughter followed as the dragon prepared to resume its course. But as it was doing so, Raven squinted in frustration and gritted her teeth. "That's…it!" she yelled.

Suddenly two sets of glowing red eyes replaced her normally-purple ones as a cloud of black energy surrounded herself and Argorok. The dragon looked down, startled, as it realized it could no longer flap its wings. Immediately, the dragon and its captive began to fall. _Stop this at once, foolish girl! _Argorok screamed, the terror in its heart growing. _You will kill us both!_

"Better than being a slave to your master!" Raven snarled coldly.

Panicking, Argorok released its hold on her, the energy around it melting away as it retreated fearfully. Raven managed to stay in the air as her eyes returned to their normal appearance. Vaati flew up to her and said, "Raven! Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No…I'm fine. I've dealt with dragons before, remember?"

"Yes, well. This dragon wasn't imprisoned inside a magic book once, was he?"

"True."

Raven could almost see the smile in Vaati's eye. "I'm glad you're alright. Let's get back to the Palace."

XXXXXX

Argorok shamefully returned to Ganon's Tower, where its lord and master was patiently waiting for it. When Ganondorf realized the dragon had returned empty-handed, his expression betrayed disappointment. "Well, what news?"

The dragon seemed hesitant to answer at first, but finally said, _Vaati plans to fight against you. I fought the Helmaroc King, but I was prevented from dealing the deathblow by a young sorceress. I believe it was the one you expressed interest in, milord. I tried to bring her to you, but her powers were greater than I had anticipated! She very nearly killed me!_

"Is that so?" Ganondorf said, almost to himself as he rubbed his chin. "I wonder how someone so young can possess so much power."

_Forgive me for my failure, _Argorok finished as it hung its head low in shame.

"Fail? No, you did not fail, my faithful servant. You have provided me with useful information. You will remain here for the time-being until the attack on Hyrule begins. You are dismissed."

XXXXXX

When they returned to the Palace of Winds, they discovered the Helmaroc King standing by the wall, its wing bent horribly out of shape. Link was by it, and when he saw Vaati he said, "Was that one of Ganondorf's monsters?"

Vaati morphed back into his Hylian form and answered, "Unfortunately. He's onto us."

_My Lord, _Helmaroc wheezed morosely. _My wing…I can fly no more…I can be of no use to you now._

"Wait," Raven interrupted as she approached the bird. "Let me."

The bird allowed Raven to gently touch its broken wing. "Stay still. This will hurt a little bit, but think I can heal it."

Before the Helmaroc King could respond, it trilled in surprise as its bones fused back together. Raven stepped back as Helmaroc extended its wing, marveling at Raven's handiwork. _Th…thank you, kind young one._

Raven smiled slightly. "You're welcome."

XXX000XXXXX

**As I was writing this, I was listening to Final Confrontation from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Epic music for an epic battle! Also, this is the beginning of what will become a fierce rivalry amongst the characters.**

**Link-Ganondorf, obviously.**

**Helmaroc-Argorok.**

**Onox-Buster.**

**Veran-Raven. (I just now noticed both names are comprised of the same exact letters. :P)**

**Shanzom-Vaati.**

2


	21. The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter Twenty: The Calm Before The Storm**

That night, after a few Wizzrobes had repaired the damage to the Palace, Raven found Vaati at the entrance to the Palace, sitting with his feet dangling over the edge. He was staring absentmindedly at the moon. "Am I interrupting anything?" she asked.

Vaati turned his head and answered, "No. Not at all."

Raven sat down next to the Wind Mage and smiled. "So, what's on your mind?"

Vaati sighed. "Well…I thought I'd be more happy now that I'm back in Hyrule, but…I…I'm not."

Raven said nothing, preferring to just stare up at the moon as well. "I guess…maybe it's because here, whenever my name is spoken, it's with fear and hatred. Here, I'm regarded as just another filthy villain for the hero to dispose of. But…when I was in your world…I was _somebody_. You and your friends looked upon me, and you did not judge. And it seemed that I had found a place where I could belong."

The Wind Mage shifted his position slightly. "I know that even if I do help save Hyrule, the people will still regard me with distrust and apprehension, and I'll continue to be alienated."

"You remember what that sword said, though?" Raven reminded. "If we win, your goddesses will send us back, and you won't have to worry about feeling alienated."

"We'll still have that wretch Dethl to worry about, though. And who knows what he's done with your…no…_our_ friends."

Raven sighed and closed her eyes. "I miss them," she said simply.

"…Me too."

Raven leaned her head against Vaati's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "At least I still have my pretty boy with me," she added with a playful grin.

"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Vaati asked, though his eyes were full of mirth. "It's unflattering for the great Wind Mage Vaati to be referred to as a 'pretty boy.'"

Raven put a hand to her mouth in mock horror. "Oh no! Everybody go hide in your homes! Vaati the Wind Mage is on a rampage because his girlfriend called him pretty boy!"

"Aren't you just a barrel of fun?"

"Really? I used to be told I sucked all the humor out of the atmosphere."

Vaati just chuckled some and put his arm around the girl. "The moon looks so beautiful," Raven remarked dreamily as she looked towards the sky.

"Not as beautiful as you," came Vaati's loving reply.

Raven blushed as she gazed at Vaati. Slowly, Vaati lowered his face towards her, and Raven was slightly surprised as her lips interlocked with Vaati's. With the moon as a witness, Vaati son of Dethl and Raven daughter of Trigon shared their first kiss.

XXXXXX

Unbeknownst to either of them, Buster and Link were watching from a window higher up. Link's expression was one of utter surprise, while Buster's was of quiet joy. The Darknut had removed both his helmets, revealing a black, jackal-like face with red eyes. "I…I don't believe what I'm seeing…" Link mused. "I didn't think…he was capable of love."

Buster glanced at the green-clad boy. "Why does it seem so difficult for you to register that your enemies are not always what they appear to be?"

Link returned the Darknut's gaze. "It's not my job to get to know the villain. I'm supposed to defeat the villain."

"Figured you'd say that."

Buster sighed. "Hero and villain, light and dark, good and evil. Why do people portray the world as black and white, while ceaselessly failing to take into account the endless shades of grey in between? A hero may become a hero for all the wrong reasons, and a villain may become a villain because he feels what he is doing is right."

"I didn't become a hero for the 'wrong reasons!'" Link complained. "I became a hero because…uh…well…"

"Because destiny says so," Buster finished for him. "As for Ganon, he originally sought conquest because he wanted a better future for his people. When the Kingdom of Hyrule carried out the genocide of the Gerudo, he went mad with rage, and ever since, he's been seeking the Triforce to exact retribution. As for Lord Vaati, he had a miserable childhood, where he was used and abused by everyone around him because of the traits given to him by Dethl. He took the magic cap to make a name for himself and ensure that no one could ever use him again. Sadly, even then, Ganon found a way to make it happen."

Link just stared at Buster, surprised that such wisdom could come from the mind of one of Vaati's minions. "The world didn't start out black and white, nor will it ever become such. Those who are good may go bad, and those who are bad may redeem themselves. No mortal being is born evil, Link. Such a feat remains only with Majora the Fallen One and beings like Dethl."

Link opened his mouth to speak, but no words came, to his bewilderment. "Consider my words, Hero, and maybe next time Wisdom may favor you."

The Darknut turned on his heel and strode off, leaving Link to process everything he had just been told.

XXXXXX

Meanwhile at Ganon's Tower, Zelda had somehow, considering the fact the was stuck inside a crystal and could not lay down, drifted off to sleep in Ganondorf's throne room while the Gerudo King was attending to other more pressing matters. Visions danced in her head, visions of battle. Strangely enough, all the combatants were monsters. Images of a large bird battling a dragon, a Darknut fighting Onox, Link fighting Ganondorf, and Vaati fighting Shanzom flashed by. _Is…is Vaati planning to fight against Ganondorf? _Zelda wondered.

Then came one last vision, that of a young girl with pale skin and black hair and a cape similar to Vaati's. She stood against Ganondorf with the same look of determination that she would have seen on Link's face. Suddenly a great black shadow loomed over her, its silhouette mimicking Ganon's, but she could sense that this was a separate entity from the Dark Lord. A maniacal grin was plastered on its pitch-black face, almost as if it were watching the coming fight for its own entertainment, where no one else could see it.

And then she awoke, panting heavily.

XXXXX000XXXXX

**Sorry for the shortish chapter, but I'm anxious to start this freakin' war already! Still, I'm actually pretty satisfied with how Vaati and Raven's first kiss turned out.**

**On a side-note, I'm really starting to like Buster. :/**

2


	22. First Blood

**Chapter Twenty-One: First Blood**

A soldier stood guard outside the entrance of Hyrule Town, leaning on his spear as he lamented his boring position. He had heard about Ganondorf's attack on the castle, but so far, nothing had happened. A more seasoned veteran would have been much more vigilant, but this soldier had only been on the force for two months. As such, he didn't see the magic missile coming until it was too late. The poor man was burnt to a crisp on the spot. People turned in the direction and discovered, to their horror, a group of mighty Iron Knuckles flanked by dozens of Wizzrobes. Hovering at the head of this group was a golden-robed Wizzrobe, who pointed at the terrified civilians and yelled, "Attack!"

The townsfolk panicked and scattered as the Wizzrobes prepared to fire and the Iron Knuckles lumbered forward, brandishing their obscenely-large battle-axes. But as the Wizzrobes struck, a great black wall of energy appeared that deflected every single bolt away from the civilians. The monsters halted in surprise, and two purple-clad figures descended from the sky and positioned themselves between the monsters and their intended victims. Many of the monsters backed away in terror as they recognized the infamous Wind Mage, Vaati, glaring at them with a ball of energy in his hand. Many townsfolk gasped in surprise when they saw who their savior was.

"Th-that's Vaati the Wind Mage!"

"Vaati has returned!"

"I thought he was dead!"

"What is he doing?"

Vaati turned his head towards the confused and frightened crowd and yelled, "If you value your lives, flee now! We shall distract them!"

Vaati then blew a massive gust of wind at the assembled monsters, knocking most of them off their feet. The townsfolk finally got the message and began fleeing the town through the southern entrance to Hyrule Field. Shanzom was the first to right himself, and he prepared a counter spell. "Get after those civilians! I will deal with the Wind Mage and his little friend!"

Suddenly a great squawk was heard above the monsters, and as they turned, the Helmaroc King descended on the unfortunate mob and knocked them all to the ground, two unfortunate Wizzrobes being ripped to shreds by its talons in the process. On its back was Buster the Darknut and Link, who leaped off the bird and stood next to Vaati. And as Ganondorf's minions were recovering, a legion of monsters bearing the mark of Vaati's eye appeared as from nowhere, catching them by surprise. Wizzrobes were attacked by other Wizzrobes, Iron Knuckles by Darknuts. Shanzom glared furiously at Vaati and hissed, "So you've allied yourself with the Hero. Pity. You would have been much better off with Lord Ganondorf."

"I disagree," Vaati replied coldly as he prepared for attack.

Shanzom teleported out of the energy ball's path and reappeared behind Vaati with his own energy ball in hand. "You will regret that choice."

Vaati deflected Shanzom's attack with a wind spell and sent a tornado in the Wizzrobe's direction. Shanzom coolly waved his scepter, dissipating the tornado by forcing the wind to change direction. Then Shanzom shot a blast of fire at the Wind Mage, who raised a shield around himself to ward off the flames. With his other hand, Shanzom cast an earth spell, knocking Vaati off-balance as a pillar of rock shot up from underneath him. While Vaati was down, Shanzom readied another blast of energy, but Vaati saw it coming and pushed the Lord of Wizzrobes back with a gust of wind, distracting him and causing the spell to blow up in his face, literally. As he stumbled back, he suddenly noticed a crack in his bird mask and glared at Vaati.

"_No one…breaks…my…mask…AND GETS AWAY WITH IT_!" Shanzom screamed, hurling fireballs at Vaati.

The Wind Mage casually blew the fireballs aside, further infuriating Shanzom. "For the Lord of Wizzrobes," Vaati remarked with a smirk, "you certainly have a nasty habit of acting like a spoiled child."

"Mock me, will you?" Shanzom snarled. "I'll wipe that smirk off your face!"

Suddenly the Lord of Wizzrobes performed another spell, ripping numerous stones out of the ground and causing them to spin randomly around himself. Vaati prepared another wind attack, but suddenly a stone shot out of the formation and struck him in the head, sending Vaati to the ground. As the Wind Mage tried to stay conscious after such a blow, all the stones surrounding Shanzom suddenly stopped spinning. With a wave of his scepter, all the stones suddenly changed shape, turning into dozens of spearheads, all pointing menacingly at Vaati. Shanzom smirked beneath his bird mask. "Well, well. Where are your bold words _now_, Wind Mage?"

Vaati narrowed his eyes as blood trickled out of a small wound caused by the stone and attempted another attack, but as he threw up his hand, a spearhead shot out and buried itself in his arm. Vaati yelled in pain and gripped his bloody arm. "And to think you were once almost as great a threat to Hyrule as Lord Ganon. Pathetic. Truly pathetic. The Dark Lord, nevertheless, will be pleased upon news of your death."

Shanzom prepared to impale Vaati with the sharp stones, but before he could, he heard a cry of "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" off to his side. As he looked towards the noise, he was suddenly blindsided by a boulder enshrouded by black, glowing energy. Bereft of Shanzom's control, the rocks fell to the ground. Raven then forced the boulder against the town wall, hoping to crush the Wizzrobe. As she released the boulder, however, she realized that Shanzom was still alive, and still in battle-worthy condition, and very, _very_ angry. The Wizzrobe shook off the dust and hissed at Raven, "You little bitch!"

Shanzom raised his scepter to attack, and sparkles emanated around the red jewel at the top. But before he could cast the spell, the Helmaroc King landed between Raven and the Lord of Wizzrobes and screeched at him, and soon Buster and Link were at its side, ready for a fight. Shanzom glanced worriedly at each of them and then said, "As powerful as I am, I cannot deal with you all at once!" The Wizzrobe pointed at them. "But mark my words. Lord Ganon will hear of this, and his revenge will be swift and sure!"

Shanzom then teleported out of sight. Due to Link, Buster, Raven, and Helmaroc's efforts, Vaati's forces had gained the upper hand and killed all of Ganondorf's minions, and now an uncomfortable silence took hold of everyone there. Suddenly Raven remembered Vaati and rushed over to the barely-conscious Wind Mage, her eyes wide with worry. "Vaati, are you all right?" she asked as she knelt down by him and ran her hand smoothly over his forehead. "You have a concussion," she surmised. She looked up at Link. "Is there some kind of medicine here? I've used too much of my power to be able to heal him fully."

Link looked a little hesitant to offer his former enemy medical attention, but finally nodded. "We have what's called Red Potion. It cures any injury. I have some."

Link took out a bottle filled with a red liquid and handed it to Raven. She uncorked it and poured the Red Potion into Vaati's mouth, who coughed a bit as he swallowed. Almost immediately, the wound on his head disappeared, and his strength returned. Vaati lifted himself to his feet and said, "I never thought I would say this, but…thank you, Link."

Link just nodded. Vaati straightened his hat. "I suppose you should tell the civilians it's alright to come back to town."

Link then took off to find the townspeople. Raven walked up to Vaati and wrapped her arms around him. "I was scared for you for a moment."

"That Wizzrobe got lucky," Vaati assured. "Otherwise I would have destroyed him."

Raven kissed his cheek. "I'm just glad you're alright."

Behind them, several monsters wore expressions of disgust at the 'mushy' moment.

2


	23. Ganondorf's New Plan

**Chapter Twenty-two: Ganondorf's New Plan**

Ganondorf sat in his throne, throwing an occasional glance at Zelda, who appeared to be asleep. He was rather tired from summoning such a large force of monsters. Powerful though he was, creating ten thousand minions to serve him had taken a toll on the Dark King. Suddenly, he heard an awful creaking noise as the doors swung open, revealing the golden-robed form of Shanzom. The Wizzrobe's robes were torn and dirt-stained in some places, and his mask had a crack on it near the left eye-hole. Ganondorf straightened up. "Well? What…"

"My Lord, we were defeated by Vaati's troops. They attacked us while we were arriving at the town. I was unable to destroy the Wind Mage due to the intervention of a young sorceress bearing a remarkable resemblance to the cur. I was able to escape, but I am the only survivor. And to make matters worse, Link has joined him."

An ominous scratching noise permeated the room as Ganondorf's fingernails grinded against the arms of his throne. The Dark Lord was not pleased. "That sorceress is proving to be troublesome. It seems I will have to recall Veran and Onox's troops and send them to destroy Vaati. Go tell Argorok to wait for me outside the entrance."

Shanzom bowed, turned on his heel, and exited the room. Closing his eyes, Ganondorf then opened up a mental link with his two other commanders. _Change of plans. Vaati defeated Shanzom's soldiers. Proceed to Hyrule Town to clean up the mess. Onox, attack from the south. Veran, block off their escape from the north._

_But my Lord, what about the Zoras? _Veran asked.

_Do not question my orders!_ Ganondorf snarled in anger._Vaati must be crushed!_

_Y-yes, Lord Ganondorf, _Veran and Onox both said.

Without another word, Ganondorf closed the link and stood up from his throne. Throwing one last glance at Zelda, he strode out of the room. As soon as the door shut, Zelda quickly opened her eyes, allowing her mind to fully process the conversation she had just witnessed. _Link and Vaati…joined forces? _Zelda thought, shocked._And what's this about a young sorceress? Is she perhaps the one I saw in my dreams? The one being watched by that shadow being?_

She glanced towards the window and then shut her eyes. _Ganondorf must be going to face Vaati himself! And with both Veran and Onox's armies closing in…I must warn Link! Perhaps I should speak to this sorceress as well…_

XXXXXX

When Ganondorf stepped out of the fortress, Shanzom and Argorok were waiting for him. The Wizzrobe Lord had taken the opportunity to repair the damage to his robes and mask, and now looked good as new. Using his powers of levitation, Ganondorf mounted the armored dragon. "We're going to Hyrule Town! Onox and Veran are on their way as well. Let's go!"

At Ganondorf's behest, Argorok spread out his wings and took to the air, Shanzom following close behind.

XXXXXX

The townsfolk were wary of the monsters that were now patrolling the town and the fields outside the walls. Link's assurances that they were not enemies did little to comfort them. Most of them retired to their homes and bolted their doors shut. The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, bathing the town in a fiery orange light. A chilly wind had begun to blow, prompting some of the monsters who were off-duty to gather wood from nearby trees and build campfires. Buster and a few other Darknuts chopped down some trees in the field with their large swords, while Moblins carried the wood back to the town and divided it amongst several dozen groups. Fire Wizzrobes then proceeded to ignite the wood with their magic. The Helmaroc King was roosting by a larger fire built for him, his head turned towards his back and his beak buried in his feathers, fast asleep. Vaati, Link, Raven, and Buster all sat around one such campfire, staring absentmindedly at the flames dancing in the wind.

Raven's thoughts were on her friends. Her heart felt like there was something missing. Her friends, her fellow Teen Titans, were an important part of her life, and with them not around…

_Robin…Beast Boy…Cyborg…Starfire…Will I ever see them again? _Raven wondered. _Are they even still alive?_

Vaati's mind was focused mainly on Dethl, his life, and especially his former master. _Ezlo…I was such a fool. My bitterness towards life blinded me. I should have realized…you were the only person I knew whom I could call a father. Dethl…I'll make you pay. I swear to the Goddesses, I will make you pay._

Link could only think of Zelda. It chilled him to think about what Ganondorf might do to her when they were alone. _Please, let her be alright. I don't know what I'd do if…if any harm came to her…_

_Link?_

The voice was small and timid, but it was enough to make jolt in alarm.

_Link, can you hear me?_

There was no mistaking that soft, beautiful voice. "Zelda?" Link whispered.

Vaati, Raven, and Buster all glanced curiously at Link, who seemed to be staring off into space. "Did you say something, Link?" Vaati asked.

_Link, listen carefully. Ganondorf has heard about his defeat at Hyrule Town. Is it true that Vaati the Wind Mage has joined forces with you?_

"Yeah."

"Well, what did you say?" Vaati asked, a little irritated.

Suddenly, he and Raven both felt the magical presence in the air focusing on Link. Raven was the first to explain. "Someone's contacting him telepathically."

_Ganondorf has ordered Veran and Onox's troops to attack Hyrule Town and overwhelm your defenses. And what's worse is that Ganondorf himself is coming to oversee, and possibly, participate in the battle._

Link's eyes widened in horror. Fighting Ganondorf one-on-one was bad enough, but facing him _and_ his minions at the same time…

_I don't know how far off they are, but I suspect they will be there in a matter of hours. Link, you're outnumbered several times over. You must prepare everyone for battle! Do all you can to convince the town soldiers to fight alongside Vaati's minions, or else all will be lost._

"I don't know how I will. Considering our past history with him…"

_It must be done, Link! Now, I must speak to another before I break the connection._

"Who?" Link asked, but Zelda didn't answer.

Now Raven suddenly felt a foreign voice enter her head, a feminine, noble voice. _I have heard talk of a sorceress in our land. Who are you and why are you here?_

Zelda was surprised when Raven answered her telepathically. _I'm Raven Roth. I'm not from this world. I was sent here by a demon called Dethl, who transported Vaati to my world and devastated it. I was part of a group that protected the city in which I lived. Vaati's my boyfriend. We took him in after Dethl stripped him of his powers. Dethl gave him his powers back before sending us here._

_Dethl…was he not the Nightmare creature a previous hero defeated in a dream world?_

_I don't know the bastard's history, only that he has my friends and that he's turned my home into a literal hell on earth. Your magic sword said that if Vaati and I help Link defeat Ganondorf, the Goddesses will send us back to my world to defeat Dethl._

…_I see. Listen, Raven. Ganondorf is coming with two different armies led by his two other commanders. They'll be there in a few hours. Help the town prepare to defend itself._

_Don't worry. I will._

_Be careful, though. Ganondorf is a powerful opponent. His power stems from an artifact of the Goddesses called the Triforce of Power. With it, his abilities stretch beyond even Vaati's. Some say Link is the only one capable of defeating him. Nevertheless, do all you can. Good luck._

And with that, Zelda left Raven's mind. Her three other companions were all staring at her. Glancing at each of them, she said, "Well, what are we all just sitting here for? We have a battle to prepare for."

2


	24. Siege of Hyrule Town

**Chapter Twenty-three: Siege of Hyrule Town**

Monsters and Hylians were running everywhere, scrambling to take up positions at various areas of the town where they would be the most effective at repelling Ganondorf's forces. Darknuts gathered near the two entrances, with Moblin archers and spearmen positioned directly behind them to provide cover and support. Meanwhile, Hylians and Wizzrobes converged on the walls, ready to unleash hell on any enemy that dared show its presence on the field outside Hyrule Town. The Helmaroc King took cover behind a house, so as to not alert any aerial enemies to his presence before he could strike. Buster and Raven had taken command of the troops protecting the northern wall, while Vaati and Link had assumed command of the southern gate. Tension was still high, but everyone knew that now was not the time for past differences. Now was the time to face a common enemy.

The silence was broken only by the occasional grunt of a Moblin or the chink of a Darknut's armor as it shifted position. Suddenly the distant thump-thump of marching feet faded into hearing, and a few moments after that, waves of monsters appeared from the north and south. The southern army was led by an Iron Knuckle carrying a ball and chain of immense size. The northern army had a strange-haired blue woman in seductive clothes leading them. And above the northern forces were Argorok and a streak of yellow following alongside. On the dragon's back was the unmistakable figure of Ganondorf.

The two masses closed in on Hyrule Town like a pack of wolves. Once it was ensured there could be no escape from Hyrule Town, the two armies halted. Argorok and Shanzom touched down at the head of Veran's forces. Seconds later, Ganondorf's voice rang loud and clear across the field. "My terms are simple! Surrender or die! Give me the Triforce of Courage and the sorceress, or I will ensure that no man, woman, or child leaves this town alive!"

Link yelled back just as quickly, "Never! We'll never bow down to the likes of you, Ganondorf! We would rather die than be subject to your dark rule!"

"So be it, then! Your fate is sealed!"

Ganondorf drew his sword and raised it in the air. "Attack! Leave none alive!"

The monsters surged forward in a rolling wave, eager to obey their master's orders. As they neared, the defenders readied themselves. Wizzrobes charged up their magic attacks. Hylian archers aimed their arrows at the enemy. When Ganondorf's minions were close enough, Fire Wizzrobes fired tiny beams of fire energy at unnoticed strings lying on the ground, which immediately began burning. Moments later, powerful explosions ripped through Ganondorf's ranks as the bombs which had been buried beforehand ignited.

Taking advantage of the enemy's disarray, the Wizzrobes and Hylians unleashed their fury, showering Ganondorf's minions with arrows and spells. Ganondorf's Wizzrobes retaliated, sending their own volleys at the walls. Some of Vaati's Wizzrobes managed to deflect the energy bolts away from the defenders, but others found their mark, blowing large chunks out of the walls and killing several defenders. In the midst of the heavy exchange of magic, Onox strode forward, ball and chain in hand. With a mighty roar, he swung the heavy ball at the southern gate. The shockwave reverberated throughout the southern wall, but the gate held. Vaati's Wizzrobes had placed a number of enchantments on the doors before the battle that reinforced their strength, and so far, they were holding.

Onox swung again, and this time, the door shuddered slightly. The Wizzrobes' enchantments were strong, but they wouldn't hold forever. Again he slammed his weapon into the door, causing cracks to appear in the gate. A few of Vaati's Wizzrobes turned their attention towards the General of Darkness, firing everything they had at him. However, Onox shrugged off the effects and continued striking at the southern gate. Finally, Onox landed the finishing blow, reducing the southern gate to splinters.

Vaati, Link, and their entourage braced for the attack as swarms of monsters emerged from the dust. Moblins, Stalfos, and Lizalfos poured through the entrance and charged at the Darknuts and Moblins before them. Vaati sent a salvo of dark energy into the mass of enemy monsters, killing several and dispersing the crowd. The Moblin archers fired into the enemy ranks, felling even more. Soon, the enemy recovered as more came through the breach. The sounds of clashing steel rang through the air as the two groups of monsters collided.

The Darknuts swung their swords, easily cutting through enemy weapons and bodies. Moblins attacked each other with the ferocity of lions, some eschewing their weapons in favor of their teeth and bare hands. Link was careful to attack only the monsters that did not bear the mark of Vaati's eye on their chests and armor, but the confusion of battle made it difficult to differentiate between friend and foe at times. Finally Link settled on attacking only what monsters attacked him first.

Vaati, however, could easily tell his and Ganondorf's forces apart. For instance, he didn't have any Stalfos or Lizalfos under his command. With amazing dexterity and skill, Vaati killed many of Ganondorf's minions with sword and sorcery. Some of the Hylians dropped their bows and drew their swords before joining the fight below.

Link didn't see the Stalfos spear until it was almost too late. Quickly he slashed at the spear, severing the spearhead and rendering the skeleton's weapon useless. Or so Link thought.

Without warning, the Stalfos struck Link in the head with what was left of its spear and picked up a fallen Moblin's spear. Link fell to the ground and shook his head. As his vision cleared, he saw the Stalfos bearing down on him, its spear pointed directly at his heart. Link raised his shield to defend himself, and the blow was deflected. However, the Stalfos proceeded to stamp down on the shield with its foot, momentarily jarring Link. It then grabbed his shield and tore it out of his grasp. Link glanced fearfully at his now-unprotected arm and then at the Stalfos.

The skeleton stabbed towards Link again, attempting to skewer him. Thinking quickly, Link grabbed the shaft of the weapon and pulled downward, throwing the Stalfos off-balance. As it fell, Link thrust the Master Sword through its spine, splitting the Stalfos in two. Link got to his feet and was immediately assaulted by a Lizalfos.

Raven and Buster watched the northern gate begin to shake as Veran and Ganondorf's Wizzrobes continuously threw their magic attacks at it. Darknuts raised their shields in front of them in preparation for combat. Finally the door snapped from the pressure, forming a breach. Iron Knuckles strode through the rubble into the town, brandishing their massive battle-axes. Behind them were swarms of Bokoblins wielding clubs and knives. The Moblins' arrows bounced harmlessly of the Iron Knuckles' armor. Raven used her powers to launch the broken pieces of the gate at the mass of monsters, but this did little to hinder their advance. The Iron Knuckles engaged the Darknuts, while the Bokoblins targeted everything else.

One Iron Knuckle came at Raven, its axe raised high. Raven raised her hands, enshrouding them in dark energy. Suddenly the animated armor's weapon was covered by this same energy and wrenched itself out of its owner's grasp. The Raven slammed the axe into the Iron Knuckle, splitting it down the middle. The monster collapsed in a dead heap. Before she could do anything else, though, a Bokoblin leapt upon her back and tried to knock her to the ground. She promptly threw the creature over her shoulder into its comrades.

Buster calmly watched the Iron Knuckle approach him. "Show me what you've got!" the Darknut general declared before raising his sword.

The Iron Knuckle responded by swinging its axe at Buster. Buster deflected the blow with his sword and kicked the Iron Knuckle in the chest. The monster stumbled back, and Buster raised his sword in preparation for the final blow, but the Iron Knuckle parried with its axe as Buster's sword came down. It then struck him with the tip of the axe, knocking the wind out of him. The Iron Knuckle prepared to cleave him in half, but Buster recovered in time and swung his sword against the axe's blade. The force of the blow made the Iron Knuckle drop its weapon, giving Buster the chance he needed to cut the Iron Knuckle down.

The two gates were constantly pouring in monsters, and their defenders were in danger of being overrun, and so what soldiers were still on the walls abandoned their posts, and Hylians and Wizzrobes together rushed to their aid. The battle soon was spread out throughout the town. Energy bolts flew in random directions as warriors battled in the streets. It was pure chaos now; it was unclear who would win.

In the midst of the carnage, a great spherical beast with one eye roared with anger as it battled Ganondorf's many minions. Vaati had assumed his demon form. Every monster that approached him was quickly slain, but he was not without his own wounds. Several small gashes were cut into his sides, and one of his wings was badly torn. He seized a Moblin in his claws and crushed the life out of it before hurling it at an approaching Iron Knuckle. An enemy Wizzrobe shot an energy blast at the winged eye, to which Vaati responded by incinerating the demon wizard with an eye beam.

Vaati did not see Argorok bearing down on him from above, Ganondorf on his back. Someone else, though, did. The Helmaroc King burst out of his hiding place and tackled the startled dragon in mid-air. Ganondorf was knocked off Argorok's back and fell towards the ground. The dragon recovered and glared at the masked bird. _You! _Argorok hissed. _This time you will not survive, Helmaroc!_

The two aerial beasts dueled in the skies as Ganondorf landed on his feet. The Dark Lord looked around angrily, looking for his opponents. He glared at Vaati, the fool who had dared to declare war against him. Then he noticed Link busy with an Iron Knuckle. He was considering tackling the Hero, but then someone else caught his eye. Ganondorf's lips curved into a wicked sneer.

It was Raven. She was desperately fighting off a dozen foes at once. Now was his chance to meet, and hopefully, capture this girl. He strode through the battle, the enemy soldiers too afraid to confront him. As Raven blasted away the last Bokoblin, she saw Ganondorf approaching her, his evil smile growing wider. If her face could have gone any whiter, it most certainly would have. She took a step back as she felt the immense evil power emanating from this man. The look on her face signified that she recognized him as well.

"Ganondorf," she whispered, deadpan.

Ganondorf could tell that her seemingly calm voice betrayed fright. "So, we meet again, sorceress. Now I finally have a chance to have a nice talk with you, one-on-one."

"Not interested," Raven answered, her eyes glowing white. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Ganondorf nonchalantly deflected the energy blast she sent at him. "Please, girl. You're no match for me. Though I sense great power within you, it does not compare with my own."

"You'd be surprised by what I can do."

Suddenly she opened her cape, and numerous tentacles of dark energy sprang out and wrapped themselves around a surprised Ganondorf. But before she could pull him into her cloak, Ganondorf became intangible and escaped the tentacles' grasp. He re-solidified as the tentacles shrank back into her cloak. "Impressive, but not enough," Ganondorf said with a smirk.

Suddenly Ganondorf rushed forward and grabbed Raven by the throat. He channeled dark energy into her body before slamming her into the ground and kicking her in the ribs. As she tried to get up, Ganondorf sent a charge of purple electric-like energy her way, causing her to scream in agony. Ganondorf laughed cruelly. "_Now_ do you see, girl? My power is second to NONE! And now, I will add your power to…"

Before Ganondorf could finish, a great roar reverberated through the air. Ganondorf turned around and found himself face-to-face with a _very_ angry Vaati. "Leave Raven alone, you bastard!" the giant winged eye snarled as he swatted Ganondorf into the air.

Ganondorf righted himself and descended back to the ground. He glared furiously at Vaati and said, "Always in the way! I'll destroy you this time, Wind Mage!"

Ganondorf hunched over and immediately grew three times his normal size, his dark, brownish-green skin changing into a grayish-blue tint. His human face morphed into that of a raging boar, his red eyes glowing with menace. With a snap of Ganon's fingers, the Trident of Power appeared in his hands. Ganon roared and charged at Vaati, and the two beasts clashed arms for the second time. Raven scrambled to get out of the way as Vaati forced Ganon back. The boar and the eye fought like wild tigers, clawing and tearing at each other. Ganon attempted to skewer Vaati with the trident, but Vaati grabbed the shaft and forced it away from his body. With his other hand, Vaati punched Ganon in the face. The giant pig reeled from the blow but was quick to recover. Ganon threw the trident at Vaati, who faded to the right. The trident, however, didn't fall to the ground. Instead it turned and kept spinning towards Vaati. Vaati smacked it with his claws, deflecting it away from him. The trident then flew back into Ganon's hand.

Vaati then slammed his fist into the ground, but instead of creating a crater, a pool of dark energy formed where his hand sank into the ground. Before Ganon could react, a shadow formed beneath him, from which Vaati's hand shot up, smashing into Ganon's face again. Ganon fell to the ground in a daze. Vaati pulled his arm back out of the ground and rushed at the King of Darkness. Ganon pointed his trident at Vaati and sent a salvo of dark magic at the eye. Vaati was struck numerous times and fell back. Ganon stabbed towards Vaati's eye, but with his last ounce of strength, Vaati shot a large beam of energy out of his eye that struck Ganon squarely in the chest.

As Ganon collapsed, Vaati sank to the ground and reverted back to his Hylian form. The Wind Mage was exhausted, and he knew in his heart that Ganon was nowhere near as weary as he was. Sure enough, the pig rose to his feet and, noticing Vaati was no longer the eye, morphed back into his Gerudo form. "I'm going to kill you, Vaati! Right here, right now!" he roared in victory.

"Wrong!" cried a disgustingly familiar voice.

Ganondorf turned around and saw his nemesis, Link, brandishing the Master Sword. Suddenly he was struck in the back by a magic blast sent by Raven, and Link slashed at his chest, inflicting a wound. Ganondorf gasped and held his chest. "Gah! I can't deal with all of you at the same time in this current state!"

The Dark Lord vanished in a cloud of purple energy. Link gestured towards Vaati. "Is he alright?" he asked with genuine concern.

"I'm…fine," Vaati gasped. "I've just…used too much of my power…I'm weary…"

"I'll keep an eye on him," Raven said. "Focus on the battle. We need to win it as quickly as possible, because I have a feeling Ganondorf won't be gone long."

Link nodded and returned to battle, slaying a Bokoblin.

Meanwhile, Buster had struck down an enemy Moblin when another foe approached him. It was an Iron Knuckle with golden armor and a ball and chain. The helmet left his mouth exposed, which was curved into a maniacal grin.

"You must be General Onox," Buster said.

"Yes. I will be your executioner for this evening."

"Bring it!"

Onox swung his ball and chain at Buster, who jumped back to avoid the blow. Onox then swung downwards, and Buster promptly stepped to the side and brought his sword down on the chain, severing the ball. Onox gazed in shock that a mere Darknut had so easily robbed him of his primary weapon. With a growl of anger, Onox produced a large sword and held it at the ready. Buster thrust at Onox, who parried and slashed at Buster's head. The blade grazed Buster's helmet, but did not do serious damage, though it was enough to make him stumble in surprise.

Onox seized the initiative and thrust at Buster's chest. Buster saw it coming and blocked with his shield. Onox slammed his blade repeatedly into Buster's shield. Buster waited for the right moment. As Onox swung again, Buster moved to the side. Onox's sword sank into the ground where the Darknut had once been, and before Onox could pull it out, Buster bashed him across the face with his shield. Onox reeled back in pain and surprise. Buster thrust his sword into Onox's torso.

Onox snarled in pain and rage and pulled the sword out of his body. "Urgh…this isn't over, Darknut!"

"That's Buster the Titan Knight to you," Buster answered.

"Aagh…We'll meet again, and I'll kill you then!"

Onox then disappeared. Buster twirled his sword in his hand smugly and glanced at the enemies who had seen him best Onox. "So, who's next?" the Darknut asked.

The monsters promptly turned tail and ran, fleeing out of the breach in the southern wall. The battle was starting to tip in the heroes' favor, and soon Veran was ordering her forces to retreat as well, for the greater percent of them were now dead or dying. Argorok abandoned his fight with the Helmaroc King and flew off with the retreating troops. Ganondorf, who had been in the process of healing himself before returning to battle, reluctantly approved the retreat, and followed his retreating minions northwards towards Death Mountain. After several hours of hard fighting, the battle was finally over.

3


	25. Licking Their Wounds

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Licking Their Wounds**

When Ganondorf and his forces returned to his fortress on Death Mountain, he ordered his commanders to meet him in the Throne Room. Onox, Veran, and Shanzom stood facing their angry master, who had just settled back into his throne. "Curse them!" he growled to himself. "Damn that Link and Vaati!"

Veran was the first to speak, her smooth, silky voice doing nothing to ease Ganondorf's frustration. "My Lord, the sorceress you speak of seems to be more trouble than she is worth. Why waste your time trying to capture her?"

"Because she possesses a strange power of unknown origins, and I want it!" Ganondorf roared. "I could sense it! A power as dark as my own!"

"My Lord, you already possess incredible power," Onox began, wincing as the pain from the wound he had received from Buster spiked in intensity. "Why search for…"

"IDIOT! WHY IN DIN'S NAME DO YOU THINK I'M TRYING TO CAPTURE THE ENTIRE TRIFORCE IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU BRAINDEAD FOOL?" Ganondorf screamed in fury.

As the Dark Lord spoke, the room seemed to grow darker, what little life in the atmosphere melting away from the waves of darkness. Onox, Veran, and Shanzom all shrank back in pure terror. "I require more power because the Triforce of Power isn't enough! The Hero of Time possesses the Triforce of Courage, which allows him to best me every time we get into conflict! I need more power so I can overwhelm him!"

The villains had all completely forgotten Zelda was right there, still trapped in her crystalline prison. As a small smile creased across her face, she interjected, "You don't get it, do you, Ganondorf?"

All eyes turned towards the princess, the three minions glad that Ganondorf's attention was now directed towards someone else. "And just what exactly do you mean by that?" Ganondorf said, his blood boiling even further.

"Link defeats you because he's never alone. Every time you've sealed away the sages, he frees them because the Triforce of Courage gives him the strength to defeat any opponent. Then they add their power to his, making him even stronger. And now, he has two very powerful sorcerers at his side_and_ an entire army ready to stand and fight against you. Once again, you're outmatched, Ganon. You may have been able to beat him if he only had the Triforce of Courage, but unfortunately for you, he's a good person, and therefore people are willing to help him. You, however…"

"SHUT UP!"

Without warning, a burst of purple lightning shot out of Ganondorf's hands and struck the crystal, charging it and Zelda's body full of evil energy. Zelda screamed as pain wracked her entire body before she fell into unconsciousness. Everyone else's eyes were as wide as saucers as they realized just how pissed off their master really was. But they all silently breathed a sigh of relief as Ganondorf seemed to calm down slightly. "All the more reason for me to pursue more power," he said in a somewhat-creepy monotone. He looked at his three commanders. "Tend to whatever wounds you may have. Rest awhile. In the meantime, I will prepare a stronger army to counter Link and Vaati. Now leave my sight."

Onox, Veran, and Shanzom hastened to obey, and quickly left the Throne Room. Ganondorf slouched in his throne. _You're going to pay for this, fools, _he swore to himself.

XXXXXX

Meanwhile, after the bodies had been tossed onto a funeral pyre, and the Hylian dead buried, Vaati began summoning more monsters to replace their losses. Raven had tried to convince him to rest first, but the Wind Mage had insisted on summoning at least enough monsters to replace the ones that had been killed in the battle. Giving up, she and Link rented rooms at the local inn, Raven paying for two so Vaati would have somewhere to sleep when his weariness got the better of him.

Raven got into her bed and was asleep in a few minutes.

_She suddenly saw a young-looking man with a smiling face walking through the dark fields of Hyrule. An obscenely large sack was slung over his shoulders, with several masks displayed on the bag. As the mysterious man was walking, a shadow rose up behind him. The shadow soon sprouted a single eye with a sickly-green hue that gleamed of ill intentions. Too late did the man realize someone was behind him. The shadowy creature sprouted an arm with a spiked ball for a hand and struck the man in the back, knocking him to the ground. Had the bag not been on his shoulders, the blow would probably have killed him._

_The man looked up in surprise at his attacker. But instead of begging for mercy, his smile simply widened. "You know, it's quite rude of you to trip me. I could have gotten hurt."_

"_Spare us your humor, and sit there until we have found what we are looking for!" the being hissed with a voice that instantly made Raven's blood run cold. _

_It couldn't be…but it had to be. There was only one whose voice sounded like that, only one who would refer to itself in such context. _

Dethl, _Raven thought in horror and confusion. _But how? I thought…

_Dethl rummaged through the man's pack, and moments later, the demon pulled out something. Raven couldn't make out what it was, but she could clearly see two fiery orange eyes glaring at her. As Dethl's laughter rang through her head, Raven suddenly jolted awake._

Vaati stumbled into her room, horrid bags under his eyes. He looked absolutely miserable. Even in his exhausted state, Vaati was quick to notice Raven's worried look. "I didn't mean to wake you," he half-mumbled in apology.

"Vaati, I just had a dream…I think it was a premonition."

Vaati settled down in the bed across the room and said, "Of what?"

"Dethl was in it."

Vaati sat bolt upright, his eyes wide with fury. "Tell me everything."

Raven did so, and Vaati's eyes narrowed. "That bastard. He wouldn't."

"Wouldn't what?"

"If I remember what I've read in the libraries, that smiling man you saw carries a highly dangerous item of immense power. I don't know the specifics, but if Dethl gets his hands on it…"

"Do you think he might be preparing for something? Maybe he has a feeling we'll somehow make it back."

"He's right."

"Should we talk to Link about it?"

"Perhaps. I remember something about the first Hero of Time being involved in a chain of events concerning that item the smiling man was carrying. Tomorrow, we'll ask."

They bade each other good night and settled into their beds for a good night's sleep.

XXXXXXX0000XXXXXXXX

**Dun dun **_**DUUUUUUUNNN**_**! Yes, your suspicions are correct, if you're thinking of a certain Happy Mask Salesman. Oh, if only Vaati knew the details…**

2


	26. Dethl and the Heart of Darkness

**Chapter Twenty-five: Dethl and the Heart of Darkness**

High up in the remains of Titan's Tower, Dethl watched the events concerning its son and his beloved with increasing worry. It had sent each of the captured Titans to the four obelisks scattered throughout the vicinity and sealed them within so their life energy could power the devices and spread Dethl's power across the entire world. It had been secretly watching the events in Hyrule transpire via a magic mirror of sorts, and at first had been watching for its own amusement. But as soon as that wretched Link got involved and began actually _helping_ Vaati and Raven, Dethl became concerned.

It wasn't because Dethl wasn't confident in its own power. It was because Link had a way of besting even the most powerful foes. If Link, for whatever reason, decided to accompany Vaati and Raven back to Jump City, it would have three powerful foes to deal with, and the Lord of Nightmares doubted even its new powers would be enough to overcome their combined might.

Of course, hordes of demons were roaming the city ruins, and more powerful monsters were guarding the obelisks containing Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin, but it had yet to summon a guardian for Starfire's obelisk. As Dethl thought about possible solutions to the growing problem, one flashed across its mind. To any sane person, it would be a mad idea, but Dethl knew better. It knew someone who might be helpful. Granted, this someone was unpredictable and evil to the point of matching Dethl's depravity, perhaps surpassing it.

A wicked grin creased Dethl's face as it silently ordered the mirror to search Hyrule for the power that identified its ally. A few seconds later, it found what it was looking for. A man carrying a massive sack on his back was trudging along through the woods, looking around suspiciously with an odd smile on his face. With its mind, Dethl caused the mirror to turn into a portal. Its body morphed into a shapeless mass as it entered the portal and approached its target. Before the man knew what was happening, Dethl's form grew a single eye which regarded the man with disdain as it struck the man in the back with a spiked arm, knocking him to the ground.

The man looked up at Dethl, but strangely enough, the man's smile didn't leave his face. "You know, it's quite rude of you to trip me. I could have gotten hurt."

"Spare us your humor, and sit there until we've found what we're looking for!" Dethl answered as it picked up the sack.

As Dethl's hand became more human-like before rummaging through the bag's contents, the man sat up. "I know what you're looking for, Lord of Nightmares. And let me be the first to tell you, it won't give you what you want."

"That is where you're wrong, salesman. We know the Fallen One better than you ever did. We are good friends of his. We require his assistance, and we will give him free reign to do as he pleases when we are through."

Suddenly Dethl's hand brushed against something that sent a jolt of somewhat familiar energy up its arm. "Aha!"

The fiend pulled out a heart-shaped mask with two spikes on top and four running along each side. It was mostly purple and red, with various white markings adorning its face. Two venomous yellow eyes stared ahead. "Consider yourself lucky we let you live, salesman," Dethl snarled as it returned to its portal, sealing it behind it.

As it returned to its domain, Dethl reassumed its Ganon form and looked at the mask. With a sinister grin, Dethl said, "Happy to see us again, Lord Majora?"

As it spoke, Dethl charged Majora's Mask with some of its own power, and the mask lifted into the air of its own accord. Dark energy began converging behind and below it, eventually forming a black body with blood-red, dragon-like wings. The mask remained on the head, as though it were its true face. Majora's new form slowly touched back down to earth. Majora looked at his body, flexing his fingers. The mask's pupils were now moving like regular eyes. Then Majora looked at Dethl and said in a sinister, raspy voice, "Well, well, well. If it isn't the Lord of Nightmares, back from the pits."

Majora looked around. "So tell me. Where am I? And more importantly, why did you awaken me?"

"We request your services. We felt you would have plenty of fun while doing so."

"Oh?" Majora answered, folding his arms in half-interest.

"Yes. This world we have taken for our own, and have successfully conquered it. We have demons guarding three obelisks that stretch our influence into the rest of the world, but we felt the fourth would be a fitting place for you."

"I take it you have essentially achieved godhood in this world?"

"Not quite, but our power is indeed great."

"And what is so special about this fourth obelisk that you would enlist the help of the God of Chaos and Despair himself?"

"It contains a person we feel you would have fun with. A girl, unsure of her place in the world. Sweet, innocent, yet proud. The kind you enjoy breaking."

Majora let out a sadistic chuckle. "You have good taste, Dethl. Where is this obelisk?"

"On the mountain overlooking the city. Enjoy. Heh heh heh…"

Majora spread out his wings and took off through a hole in the wall, cackling madly.

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**Oh, Starfire's in for it now! Majora's my favorite Zelda villain, so I just had to include him in my story. Don't worry, though, Dethl will still retain the title of main villain for this story, but it seems Vaati and Raven have a nasty surprise waiting for them back in Jump City. Stay tuned, folks!**

2


	27. The Next Phase

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Next Phase**

Early the next morning, Vaati and Raven were both heading to the town bakery for breakfast. Vaati fondly recalled his childhood memories of sneaking into the bakery and stealing a small piece of freshly-baked bread for himself. All around them, several Moblins returned from the morning hunt, dead deer and rabbits slung over their shoulders. Darknuts put together the spits and firewood, and Fire Wizzrobes lit the fires as Moblins skinned the animals and stuck them on the spits. The Darknuts began turning the handles, allowing the meat to fully cook on all sides. Meanwhile a few Moblins opened small packs strapped to their belts and tossed various spices on the meat. The result made even Raven's mouth water, and Vaati knew where he was going after he visited the bakery.

As they neared the bakery, Vaati noticed a young woman with red hair singing to herself as she stood next to a horse-drawn cart carrying cartons of milk bottles. Noticing the Wind Mage approach, she smiled and said sweetly, "Good morning. Can I interest you in some milk for your morning meal? One hundred Rupees for a bottle."

"Indeed," Vaati answered, producing a Huge Rupee and handing it to the girl. "I'll take two."

"Right away!"

The girl reached over and took two bottles out of the wagon and handed them to Vaati. "Thank you!" she said before resuming her singing.

Vaati turned away and noticed that the bottles were quite cold. Probably the work of an Ice Wizzrobe to keep the milk from spoiling too quickly. Vaati handed a bottle to Raven and they entered the bakery. Inside were a few patrons, along with Link, who was quietly sitting at a table, eating some bread. They exchanged quick glances before Vaati and Raven walked up to the counter and purchased a loaf of bread to share between them, along with a pair of plates. They then visited a small group of monsters cutting up some freshly-cooked venison and rabbit and acquired a portion of both before returning to the bakery and sitting at Link's table. Link glanced at their loaded plates longingly, severely doubting whether the monsters would show him the same courtesy of sharing their meat.

"So what next?" Link asked as Vaati tore the loaf in half and gave Raven one half while keeping one for himself.

"I suppose we should send emissaries to the Gorons and Zoras, since it was us who saved their homes from being attacked. Once we're all together, we press towards Death Mountain, where Ganondorf's fortress is."

Vaati then took a large bite out of the bread and started chewing. Raven looked at him as she opened her milk container. "So you plan to have us march on his castle," she surmised.

Vaati swallowed and then said, "Yes, so as to prevent him from launching another attack. He suffered major losses in the last battle, so it's going to take him a while to recover. The sooner we strike, the less chance he has of holding us off."

"It's going to take a while to muster the Gorons and Zoras," Link pointed out. "Ganondorf will probably focus all his attention on rebuilding his forces as quickly as possible and possibly modifying his defenses."

"I doubt he'll have enough troops to hold off four armies at once. He'd be dealing with the Hylians, the Gorons, the Zoras, _and_ my monsters, all at once. And once we reach the fortress, we'll go in and find Ganondorf. He won't be able to handle all of us together."

Link saw the logic in this, and the three of them ate in silence.

Outside, Buster sat with a trio of Moblins and a Fire Wizzrobe, chowing down on some venison. Then, out of the corner of his eye, the Darknut noticed a small-framed person approach. The five of them looked up to see a child in raggedy clothes standing there, looking longingly at the venison still on the spit. One of the Moblins grunted, "What do you want, scrawny?"

"P-please, s-sirs," the boy pleaded. "My h-home was burned down last night. We've n-no money for food."

"Get to the point, kid," another Moblin growled irritably.

"C-could you spare some meat f-for me and my mum?"

There was a short silence, and then the Moblins and Wizzrobe burst out laughing. "Haha! Look at this!" the third Moblin snorted between guffaws. "The little pipsqueak thinks he can have some of our meat!"

"And can he?" Buster said in an unamused tone.

The four monsters stopped laughing and looked at their general. "'Course not!" the Wizzrobe stated.

"And why not?" Buster's tone was becoming dangerous.

The monsters suddenly couldn't come up with a straight answer. Buster narrowed his eyes. "These are our allies. It's impolite to treat them in this fashion."

"He's just some stupid kid," the first Moblin said.

"Fifty laps around the town wall," Buster ordered suddenly.

The other monsters were stunned. "Say...what?" the third Moblin stuttered.

"FIFTY LAPS AROUND THE TOWN WALL OR I'LL HAVE YOU WHIPPED! GET MOVING!"

Terrified, the Moblins and Wizzrobe shot to their feet and took off to fulfill their orders. Buster watched them leave before picking up one of the Moblin's discarded carving knife and cutting a large piece of venison off the spit, giving it to the grateful boy. For some, it would have seemed Buster had acted that way just to maintain the alliance. But in truth, the Darknut had taken pity on the poor child. He watched with contentment as the child ran off with the venison.


	28. The Greatest Army Ever Assembled

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Greatest Army Ever Assembled**

Ganondorf had indeed been focusing all his attention on creating more monsters. But simply replenishing his forces was not on the Dark Lord's mind. No, this time he was going to strike back with far greater forces than he had previously dedicated to his past battles. He completely ignored his growing fatigue as more and more monsters appeared to serve him, until there was no more room in the fortress. Then the newer monsters camped outside. Onox built himself a new ball and chain and practiced with it non-stop. Argorok perched unmovingly atop the towers of Ganondorf's fortress, looking down on the growing mass of monsters. Veran and Shanzom honed their magic skills. Everyone was thinking the same thing: the final battle was coming. It was just a matter of when. But Ganondorf, even in his weariness, was confident. He knew without a doubt that his was the greatest army ever seen on the face of the earth. This war was his.

XXXXXX

Three days had passed since envoys had been sent to the Zora and Goron kingdoms, and everyone was growing anxious. Every moment gone was another moment for Ganondorf's forces to recover. Vaati paced impatiently in the town square, watched by the Helmaroc King and Raven. Vaati was about to yell in frustration and pull out his hair when a sentry called, "Riders approaching!"

Several gathered around the horsemen, including Vaati and Link, to hear what they had to say. "What news?" a sergeant-at-arms asked.

The first messenger said, "The Gorons have lent their support and are marshaling as we speak. They will meet us on the fields near Death Mountain in four days' time."

"The Zoras said the same thing," the second envoy added. "King Rutolfus himself is leading every Zora that can fight over to Death Mountain. They'll be at the summit in three days."

"How many do you expect to come?" Link asked.

"Thousands, sir," both envoys answered.

Excited smiles shone on many faces at this news. Vaati looked up at the various monsters and men surrounding him. "Gentlemen, we march on Death Mountain tomorrow. And in four days' time, the greatest army ever to be assembled in the history of Hyrule will launch an all-out attack on Ganondorf's forces. Your task is simple: deal with his armies so I, Link, Raven, and General Buster can penetrate his fortress and depose that pig!"

The crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers and hollers, rising in volume until Vaati couldn't hear himself think. All past animosity was gone. Man and monster together eagerly anticipated the downfall of the Dark Lord. Raven and Vaati looked at each other and squeezed each other's hand.

XXXXXX

Sleep was hard to come by that night. Everyone knew that tomorrow's battle would be the last, and the anticipation chased all thought of sleep away. Inside the inn, Link, Vaati, Raven, Buster, and General Victor Draven, leader of the Hylian forces, all were leaning over a table with a map of Hyrule. Vaati put his finger on Death Mountain. "This is where Ganondorf's fortress is," he began. "According to our scouts, Ganondorf's forces number at least one hundred thousand, and they're camped out at the summit and along the slopes."

As he spoke, Vaati trailed his finger across the area indicated. Draven looked up. "In the face of a full frontal assault, they'd have nowhere to run."

"Exactly," Vaati responded. "They'd have us pushing them up against the mountainside, and Ganondorf would be right behind them, and they would be too terrified to retreat because they don't want to incur his wrath."

"Their confusion would send them into disarray," Buster interjected. "If we do that and press the attack, they won't have a chance to recover. They'll be ripped apart."

Raven glanced at each of them. "You do realize, though, that even with these 'Gorons' and 'Zoras' fighting aalongside us, Ganondorf's army outnumbers us at least two-to-one. He have to be wary of that. We can't let them outflank us. And if Ganondorf is out there too, things might go south pretty quick."

Link, who had been scratching his chin in thought, shook his head. "No. I don't think so."

Everyone looked at him. "Do you realize how much energy it takes to create a hundred thousand monsters over the course of only a few days? Even with all his powers, Ganondorf may be too tired to participate in the battle. He'll probably spend all his time now trying to recover his strength. If we can reach him, we have a good chance of beating him."

Vaati reached into his robes and produced a number of small black pebbles, placing them in front of the picture of Death Mountain. "These are the positions of Ganondorf's troops."

He then produced more small stones, some red, others blue, some purple ones, and some green ones. He placed the red stones on a position west of Death Mountain. "These are the Gorons. They'll be coming from this direction." He then placed the blue pebbles southeast of Death Mountain. "This is the direction from which the Zora force will arrive." Then he put the green and purple stones due south of Death Mountain. "And this is us. The purple ones are my troops, and the green ones are the Hylians." He glanced up at Draven. "How do you suggest we proceed, given this information?"

"The Gorons reported they are bringing a number of bombs of various strength with them. Regular ones, powder kegs, things of that nature. When we all converge on the plain before Death Mountain, we should have them distribute them throughout our forces. Bomb-throwers will be positioned behind our archers so that they can wreak havoc at mid-range before we meet Ganondorf's troops in close combat."

"That would do a fine job of breaking their ranks," Buster realized. Once we've used the bombs, we'll charge full-force at them."

"Indeed. We'll hit them in the center with an arrowhead formation, while the Gorons strike from the west, and the Zoras take the eastern flank. The enemy will have no chance to regroup, and no way to escape."

"Sounds like a plan," Raven finished. "We should try to get some sleep."

"Right," Draven responded, rolling up the map. "Meeting adjourned."


	29. Prelude to Battle

**Lol Sorry it's been so long since I updated. Life is busy. Anyways, here is the next chapter. Warning, this one starts off rather dark. If Majora's there, expect some unpleasant events to unfold. Enjoy!**

**XXXXX000XXXXX**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Prelude to Battle**

Starfire awoke to darkness. Her head hurt, and her vision was swirling. It took a few seconds for her to realize that she was chained to some kind of stone pillar. Clearing her head, she tried to charge a star bolt to break the shackles. To her shock, nothing happened. Frustrated, she tried pulling on the shackles, hoping to break the chains. This also had no effect. Then, to her surprise, she heard a voice, thin, cold, and menacing. "What's the matter? Caught between a rock and a hard place, are we?"

Suddenly, a pair of round, burning orange eyes appeared in the darkness, glowing with a fell light. "Your powers aren't working because that obelisk you're chained to is feeding off your powers. You're essentially its battery. Heh heh heh…"

"Wh…who are you?" Starfire managed to say.

"Oh, do forgive me. Where _are_ my manners?" the pair of eyes answered in a mocking tone. "I am Majora, the Hyrulean God of Chaos. But most people know me as…"

The room was suddenly lit up by a number of torches, revealing the mysterious figure. "…The Heart of Darkness," Majora finished. "I was recruited by Dethl to watch over you and ensure this obelisk remains active."

Starfire took in Majora's appearance. He was tall, with a dead, ashy-black body, and bat-like wings. He was naked, but he didn't appear to have any…reproductive organs, as though this body were just a mere puppet. The head was covered by a heart-shaped mask. The eyes were still glowing. "Well, I must say, you are quite a beauty," Majora said, and Starfire could almost see the mask smiling. "Dethl tells me that you are the princess of Tameran, a strong-willed, proud little girl."

Starfire didn't like where this was going. There was something about the way he was talking that set her on edge. "Breaking you will be most amusing," the masked figure finished.

"What do you mean, breaking me?" Starfire stuttered, truly terrified.

In answer, Majora held his hand out towards her, and suddenly his hand turned into a long, whip-like tentacle that shot out at her and began coiling around her. Starfire let out a scream and squirmed frantically, trying to shake it off. Majora snickered as the tentacle began trailing down towards her legs. As the tentacle found its mark, Starfire screamed again in pain and terror, and Majora began laughing hysterically as he tentacle-raped her.

XXXXXX

The next morning was heralded by the sounds of warriors preparing to march. Hylian knights and Darknuts strapped on their heavy armor and checked to make sure their swords were battle-ready. Moblins and Hylian men-at-arms sharpened their spears and strung their bows. Wizzrobes just stood idly by, waiting for the order to mobilize into formation. The Helmaroc King was circling overhead. As Vaati, Raven, Link, Buster, and General Draven emerged from the inn, Draven and Vaati issued the order to mobilize. Monsters and Hylians together snapped to attention and formed squares thirty men wide and twenty men deep. The spearmen and heavy infantry were on the outside of each battalion, archers in the center, and the light infantry between them. Vaati, Raven, Link, Buster, and Draven took up the head, and the march began, with Hylian drummers sounding the beat.

Hours went by as they marched towards Death Mountain. The sun beat down on them, but a light breeze was also blowing, providing some relief from the sun's heat. The Helmaroc King glided over the troops, circling around to keep pace with them. It was Helmaroc who first sighted what awaited them at the summit of Death Mountain. _Master Vaati!_ Helmaroc cried telepathically to the Wind Mage. _I can see Ganon's army at the base of the mountain. There must be at least a hundred thousand of them!_

Vaati's eyes widened. _Hundred THOUSAND? I wasn't expecting so many!_

Vaati turned to his comrades. "Helmaroc says he can see Ganon's army. He's guessing they number at least a hundred thousand."

Draven blinked in surprise. Link, however, was more stoic in his response. "With that many troops, there's no way Ganondorf's going to participate in this battle. He'll be way too weary. He'll be spending his time recovering. We'll have to move quickly and get to him before he fully recovers."

"Ask him if he can see the Gorons and Zoras yet," Draven said.

Vaati did so, to which the great bird answered, _Yes. They're as close to Death Mountain as we are. We'll all converge simultaneously._

"Excellent," Draven responded once informed.

It wasn't long before they could see the army crowded around the summit, and apparently they had seen them too, for it appeared Ganon's forces were mobilizing, with a few hundred more coming out of the fortress looming over them and joining their comrades. Shanzom, Veran, Onox, and Argorok could be clearly seen at the head, shouting out orders. Vaati and his companions glanced at each other, knowing the final battle was near at hand. Soon the Gorons and Zoras came into view, and eventually the three armies converged together, surrounding the armies of Ganondorf, preventing any possible escape. Finally the combined forces halted.

For several minutes, the two armies just stared hatefully at one another. Meanwhile, several Gorons ventured across the front lines of the three armies, distributing bombs to their allies. Gorons who were carrying Powder Kegs just spread out amongst the front ranks to widen the dispersal range. The spearmen took up the front, with the infantry behind them and the archers taking up the rear. Helmaroc landed by Vaati and glared over at Argorok. Not one to sit idly, General Onox lifted his arm and shouted, "Charge!"

Vaati couldn't help but feel slightly frightened as the armies of Ganondorf surged forward. Nevertheless, he breathed in deeply and prepared for battle.

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**Oh yes. Majora went there. The next chapter shouldn't take too long, so keep checking!**


	30. To Ganon's Tower

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: To Ganon's Tower**

Even as the forces of evil closed the distance, the armies of Hyrule stood firm, preparing for their final stand. Archers strung their bows and nocked arrows. Bomb-throwers lit matches to light the fuses. Ganondorf's army rushed at their enemy with mad fury. When they were close, Draven gave the order. "Bomb-throwers!NOW!"

The fuses were lit, and the bombs were cast, falling amongst the approaching enemy ranks. Before they could react, the bombs detonated, tearing vast holes in the front lines of Ganondorf's forces. Immediately the charge halted as the survivors recoiled. "Archers! Loose!"

Arrows fell like rain upon the disordered enemy, felling even more. Even so, Ganondorf's army was able to recover and charged again. Draven, Vaati, Link, and Buster all unsheathed their swords. "Charge!" Draven roared.

"Attack!" Vaati ordered.

The Hylians and Vaati's monsters charged forward in an arrowhead formation, and a resounding crash resonated across the battlefield as the tip of the formation smashed into Ganondorf's ranks, splitting them down the middle. The Gorons then hit the eastern half of Ganondorf's splintered forces, and the Zoras charged into the western half.

Vaati knew he had to be careful. His powers were great, now this was a disadvantage; there was a danger his spells might hit his allies. So he relied mostly on his skills with his sword and his more minor spells. An enemy Moblin jabbed its spear at Vaati, who faded right and cut the spear in half before slitting the shocked Moblin's throat. He was nearly hit by a fireball sent by an enemy Fire Wizzrobe, but Vaati saw where it was coming from and hit the Wizzrobe with a Stoning Spell. Ever so slowly, he made his way through the battle towards Ganondorf's fortress.

Link cut down a Stalfos as he jostled his way through the entangled mass of battling warriors towards the fortress. He almost didn't see the Bokoblin leap at him, but he quickly slashed it in half before continuing on. Then, to his chagrin, an Iron Knuckle came forward to face him. But before Link could move to strike, he heard a voice behind him yell, "Hang on! I'll take care of this one!"

Buster rushed past Link and engaged the Iron Knuckle, quickly cutting it down. Glancing knowingly at one another, they continued pressing on towards Ganon's Tower.

Raven, in order to bypass the main battle, floated over the struggling armies, occasionally dodging energy blasts sent by enemy Wizzrobes. She could make out her comrades amongst the masses, working their way towards Ganon's Tower. She unfortunately didn't see Argorok diving towards her from behind, and the armored dragon seized her in its talons and threw her unceremoniously into the side of Death Mountain. Caught off-guard, she attempted to recover, but Argorok fell upon her and pressed her against the earth with its foot. _You're more trouble than you're worth, you sniveling little wench! _Argorok growled telepathically as Raven struggled desperately for breath. _I don't care what Lord Ganon wanted with you! You will die!_

Vaati's eyes widened in horror at what was transpiring. There was no way he could get to her in time. He was too far away, and Ganondorf's monsters were relentless. "No! NO! RAVEN!" he screamed, his voice lost in the din of battle as he watched Argorok rear its head back in preparation to devour Raven.

Then, like a guardian angel, a great winged shape dove down at the dragon's exposed back. Before Argorok could finish off Raven, the Helmaroc King had grabbed its wings with his talons and lifted the dragon off of Raven. Argorok hissed in anger and flung its head back, hitting Helmaroc directly in the face. He was stunned only for a moment, but it was all Argorok needed. The dragon shook off the giant bird like an angry bull and took to the air. Helmaroc took off in pursuit.

Raven slowly stood up and rubbed her aching arm. She was far enough up the slope that the battle could not reach her. Vaati managed to breathe a sigh of relief before resuming his path through Ganon's hordes. Finally, after what seemed hours of hacking and slashing their way through the enemy, Link, Buster, and Vaati broke free of the battle and joined Raven on the slope. As they did, Raven looked over at the struggling armies. "Will they be alright without us?" she said.

"Yes, now let's go!" Vaati answered, forging ahead.

XXXXXX

Their progress did not go unnoticed. High atop the tower, Ganondorf watched the unfolding battle from a window. He could feel his power returning. He was now almost at full strength again. It was then that he noticed four figures journeying up the mountainside towards his tower. His eyes narrowed in irritation as he set up a telepathic link with his commanders. _Onox! Veran! Shanzom! The fools are nearing the tower! Get inside and prepare our little surprise…_

The three of them quickly acknowledged their master's orders by teleporting back into the tower.

XXXXXX

Everyone was thankful Ganondorf hadn't sealed the entrance to his tower. Upon entry, the group found themselves in a wide, circular room with a large cross symbol on the floor. Four doors were positioned against the wall between the lines of the cross. The room was darkly lit by a number of candles on the wall. Vaati took in the scene and said, "I don't like this. Something doesn't feel…"

Before he could finish, the floor began rumbling as walls rose out of the cross. Everyone jumped out of the way to avoid being crushed, but unfortunately, they had all leapt in different directions. They were now separated.


	31. The Duels

**Chapter Thirty: The Duels**

Vaati got to his feet and stared at the walls that had separated him from his comrades. Narrowing his eyes, he leveled a blast of energy at the wall, hoping to destroy it. Unfortunately it did something else; it ricocheted off the wall and nearly hit Vaati, who faded right just in time. _Blast! _Vaati thought in anger. _The wall's protected by some sort of barrier! Somehow I doubt I'll be able to warp through it either._

Vaati then cupped his hands and shouted, "Raven? Link? Buster? Can any of you hear me?"

There was no answer. Apparently the walls were soundproof too. Vaati slumped his shoulders in defeat and glanced at the door behind him. _Well, it seems I have no choice but to go forward. Hopefully I'll meet up with them further on._

With a resigned sigh, Vaati opened the door and found a winding staircase of stone. The Wind Mage floated up the staircase until he reached the top, where another door awaited him. Vaati cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

The door promptly sealed itself shut behind him. Vaati turned around and glanced at the door before looking in front of him, where he saw a familiar figure standing in the center of the room. Vaati narrowed his eyes. "Shanzom."

The Lord of Wizzrobes sneered beneath his bird mask. "We meet again, Wind Mage. So it seems you failed to learn your lesson the last time you faced me."

"You got lucky, Wizzrobe," Vaati retorted. "I know what to expect from you now. I admit I underestimated you before, but I assure you, it won't happen again."

"We'll see about that!"

Shanzom waved his scepter at Vaati, sending lightning at the Wind Mage. Vaati leaped over the bolts and slashed at Shanzom. The Golden Wizzrobe was quicker, though, and he vanished before Vaati's sword could strike him. Shanzom reappeared behind him and shot a wave of fire at Vaati. Vaati turned and unleashed a cyclone that dispelled the flames. Shanzom then tried to encase Vaati in a block of ice, but Vaati teleported out of the ice spell's path, firing a ball of energy at Shanzom. The Wizzrobe swatted it aside with his scepter and then began twirling the scepter around his head. "Think you're ready for _this_, windbag?"

Vaati could sense a troubling amount of pure energy converging on Shanzom and readied himself. "_Carnoxis tefracto_!" Shanzom yelled, and immediately the floor became charged with energy.

Vaati had no time to react before he was struck by the energy. He screamed in agony as it raged through his body, his muscles, his blood. Once the energy subsided, Vaati collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as he tried to recollect himself. Shanzom grinned maliciously as he strode towards his weary enemy. "A pity you fell this easily," he said, almost to himself.

Vaati gritted his teeth. "You think…I'm beaten…just yet?"

He slowly lifted his head, and Shanzom saw, to his surprise, that Vaati's eyes were now pupil-less, and an expression of pure fury was etched onto the Wind Mage's face. "I've come too far…_too far_…to be beaten by a goddessdamned Wizzrobe!"

Shanzom was slightly unnerved and took a cautious step back as Vaati rose to his feet. "I have friends who need my help…and I'm not about to fail them! You haven't beaten me, Shanzom! AND YOU…NEVER…_WILL_!"

With those last words, Vaati's body began to change. Within seconds, the great winged eye loomed over a shocked Shanzom. "You will die, now!" Vaati yelled, swiping at Shanzom.

The Lord of Wizzrobe teleported to the other side of the room to save himself, but Vaati already knew where he was headed. A blast of pure energy shot out of Vaati's eye and hit Shanzom squarely in the chest. "N…no! Not…_possible_!" he managed to yell before he was consumed by the energy beam.

The Wizzrobe Lord screamed a final time before disintegrating. The room then fell silent, broken only by the clatter of Shanzom's mask against the ground. As it did, a door on the other side of the room that had been sealed by metal bars lifted the bars, allowing access to whatever lay beyond. Vaati returned to his normal Hylian form and strode over to the door, but not before picking up Shanzom's mask. Staring at it, Vaati decided to take it with him. _That idiot_ _Beast Boy would probably like this._

He stuffed the mask within his robes and opened the door.

XXXXXX

Raven came to the same conclusion Vaati had, and had entered the door behind her, floating up the staircase up to the next door and entering the room. The door sealed itself behind her, but she ignored it, mostly due to the woman standing before her. She had turquoise skin, large purple shoulder-pads, and a dark green headdress concealing most of her hair, but a small tuft of orange hair peeked out from the headdress, falling over her face. She was clothed in a skimpy sorceress's outfit. "So you're the sorceress Lord Ganondorf was so interested in?" she drawled with a cruel smile. "A pity Lord Ganondorf no longer wishes you alive. So young."

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I need to get to my friends," Raven responded, deadpan. "If you plan on fighting me, let's just get to it, alright?"

Veran blinked in surprise, but immediately regained her composure. "Well, someone's in a hurry to die. Very well, then. I'll grant you your wish!"

Veran held her hands over her head, summoning a volley of energy balls that hurtled at Raven, who raised a black energy shield around herself, deflecting the attack. Veran then vanished, so that only her shadow remained on the floor. The shadow zoomed towards the other end of the room, and Raven took this chance to ready an attack. Veran reappeared and sent another volley of energy balls at Raven. The teenage sorceress dodged them all, and before Veran could react, Raven's boot connected with her face, sending Veran to the ground. Raven back flipped in the air and landed on her feet several meters away.

Veran got to her feet shook her head. "Hnnh…not bad, kid. But let's see how you handle my true form!"

Veran raised her arms over her head, and suddenly the room went pitch-black. Raven assumed her fighting stance, ready for anything. Suddenly the torches relit themselves, and where Veran had stood once before was now a demonic fairy of some kind, with green skin and a vague resemblance to Veran. She flashed a sinister grin, showing fanged teeth. "I'll show you what happens to those who challenge Veran, Sorceress of Shadows!"

Veran flew into the air and opened her mouth, releasing a number of blue energy balls at Raven, who dodged easily and sent a black energy bolt at her assailant. Veran simply faded right and flew at Raven. Raven summoned a wall of energy in front of her and sent it at Veran. Unable to dodge in time, Veran slammed into it light an insect against the windshield. Veran fell to the ground in a daze. A few seconds later, she shook her head and glared at Raven. "You're starting to get annoying. I was hoping not to have to resort to this, but you leave me no choice! I will show you a true monstrosity!"

"You have a lot of things to show me, don't you?" Raven quipped with a straight face.

Veran was not amused. The room grew dark again, and when the lights turned back on, the demonic fairy was now in the shape of a great purple beetle. Veran's head, however, remained on its face, which promptly retreated within its protective shell. Veran jumped into the air and attempted to crush Raven beneath her, but Raven leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the pool of acid that momentarily appeared around Veran as she made contact with the ground. Veran's head came out as she tried to see where Raven had gone, and immediately got a solid punch charged with dark energy in the face for her trouble. The force of the blow knocked her on her back. The Sorceress of Shadows screamed in frustration as her form changed yet again, into the form of a large purple bee. On the bee's forehead was Veran's face.

Veran flew at Raven, her stinger extended. Raven simply jumped over Veran and sent a few energy blasts into her back. This, however, didn't seem to do any harm to Veran. Veran turned around and did something that Raven wasn't prepared for. The stinger shot out from Veran's body like an arrow and imbedded itself in Raven's leg. Raven let out a yelp of pain as she fell to the ground, her blood trickling out of the wound.

Veran then changed into the form of a hideous purple spider and charged at Raven. Raven managed to pull the stinger out of her leg and jump out of the way in time. "Where are you going?" Veran taunted. "The fun's just starting!"

Raven floated into the air and noticed she was still holding the spike in her hand. _I need a weapon_, she thought to herself. _Looks like this will have to do. Now for a plan…_

Veran began crawling up the wall towards the ceiling. Raven tightened her grip on the stinger as Veran crawled onto the ceiling, waiting for the right moment. Suddenly the large spider leapt down at Raven, her fangs extended. Raven raised her free hand and shouted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

A large energy beam shot out of Raven's hand and struck Veran's head, knocking her into the wall. The spider-head morphed into Veran's face as she tried to clear her head, and as she opened her eyes, she saw the stinger speeding towards her, too quick to dodge. "No-!" she managed to scream in disbelief before the stinger impaled her between her eyes.

Veran slid down off the wall and collapsed in a dead heap, her spider legs folding over her carapace. Suddenly her whole body disintegrated in dark purple smoke. On the other end of the room, a door removed its bars. In order to prevent further pain in her leg, Raven floated over to the door and wordlessly opened it.

XXXXXX

Buster gave up trying to break through the wall after a little while, and decided to continue on, hoping to reunite with his comrades further on. When he reached the next room, he smirked at the person who awaited him there. "Well, well, we meet again, Onox," Buster greeted with a wry smile.

Onox flashed him a similar one. "Welcome, Titan Knight. I've been looking forward to facing you again, though I'm afraid this time will be our last meeting!"

"I beat you once, I can do it again."

"Ha! I admit I underestimated you. But not this time! This time I shall take no chances with you!"

As Onox said this, his body was changing, growing larger, more reptilian. His armor was turning into scales, and wings were sprouting out of his back. The Dark Dragon that now loomed over Buster dwarfed the Darknut many times over. "This time, you will _die_!" Onox finished before lashing out at Buster with one mighty hand.

Too slow to dodge, Buster was hit full-force and flew back against the wall, some of his heavy armor breaking off and clattering to the ground. Buster shook his head and saw Onox's fist rushing at him. Buster slashed at Onox's hand, inflicting a deep cut in its knuckles. Onox bellowed in agony and anger, shaking the very foundations of the room. With his other hand, Onox swatted Buster into the air. As Buster fell towards earth, Onox smacked him with his tail, knocking him into the wall once again. This time, the rest of his armor detached itself from his body. Buster looked up at his chuckling foe. _Damn it! He's strong! If this keeps up much longer, I'm done for!_

Suddenly, Buster realized something. _Wait a minute! He was only able to hit me because my armor slowed me down! That means…_

He wasn't able to finish that thought before Onox sent a jet of flames at him. Throwing off his larger helmet, Buster dove to the side, evading the attack. Buster tossed his larger sword and shield aside and unsheathed his longsword. "You're dead, fool! A Darknut is no match for General Onox!" Onox laughed.

The Dark Dragon opened his mouth, sending dozens of energy balls Buster's way. The Darknut nimbly dodged every single energy ball and yelled, "Is that the best you got, Onox?"

Onox gritted his teeth in anger and charged at Buster. Buster jumped over Onox's shoulder and slashed at his back. However, his sword simply bounced off Onox's tough hide. Buster cursed his luck as Onox turned around, his eyes ablaze with hatred. Another stream of flames rushed at Buster, and this time he barely dodged in time, feeling the heat. "You cannot escape, Darknut!" Onox roared, slashing at Buster.

Buster jumped back and retorted, "I don't plan to!"

Onox swiped at him again, and Buster leapt over Onox's arm and grabbed his shield. As Onox turned his head, Onox flung his shield like a Frisbee, hitting Onox in the face. It was then that Buster noticed the red crystal on Onox's forehead. _Heh…It's always the crystal_, Buster mused to himself. _Now if only I could get to it._

Onox rubbed his face with his undamaged hand and wiped the blood from his mouth. "You'll wish you hadn't done that, scum!"

Onox curled his hand into a fist and attempted to crush Buster. However, Buster jumped back again, allowing the fist to impact the ground with the force of an earthquake. Buster then leaped on his hand and jumped up Onox's arm towards his head. He managed to grab a hold of Onox's shoulder before the Dark Dragon began bucking like a raging bull, trying to shake off the Titan Knight. Buster held on for dear life as Onox slammed into walls and jerked around wildly, growling with frustration. Finally, with one final bucking motion, Onox tossed Buster up into the air. As he lifted his head to devour his enemy, he was surprised to see the Darknut bearing down on him, sword raised. Before Onox could react, Buster swung his sword with all his strength at Onox's head crystal, shattering it to fragments.

A look of stunned disbelief crossed Onox's face before he began roaring in agony. "No! NO! NOOOOOO! THIS…CANNOT…BEEEEE!" he screamed as his body was consumed in fiery explosions until there was nothing left of the General of Darkness.

Buster landed on his feet and casually picked up his shield. He gave his large sword and heavy armor one more passing glance, and finally decided he was better off without them. He then noticed a door unlock right next to him, and the Darknut promptly entered, ready for anything.

XXXXXX

Link was used to these kinds of trapped, but he was still unhappy about losing contact with his comrades. Nevertheless, he went through the only door he could enter, went up the staircase, and found himself in a circular room. The door sealed shut behind him. Link drew the Master Sword and looked around. He could somehow sense a sinister presence in the room, and after a few moments, it made itself known as an evil laugh echoed throughout the room. Suddenly a humanoid figure appeared before him. It had broad shoulders, black skin that glowed with a pale green light, glowing white markings coiling around his body, and two horns protruding from his head. A large black sword was in his hand, and a black cape flapped behind him in a non-existent wind. His smile widened as he addressed the young Hero.

"Heh heh heh…It has been too long, Hero."

Link held up his shield in case of an attack. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I am Phantom Ganon! Many times I have faced your ancestors, however, this time it will be different!"

"And how's that?"

"This time I'll _destroy_ you!"

Phantom Ganon charged a ball of electricity in his hand and tossed it at Link. However, Link had seen this attack before, and knew exactly what to do. He swatted at the energy ball, sending it back at Phantom Ganon, who slashed at it, knocking it aside. "I won't be falling for that old trick again!" Phantom Ganon laughed. "Perhaps there's another way to settle this. You and me, blade-to-blade, no magic, no other weapons. Man to man."

"Suits me just fine," Link answered as Phantom Ganon floated down to the ground and held his sword at the ready.

The two gripped their swords and charged at each other, clashing with the ferocity of lions. At first, Phantom Ganon forced Link on the defensive, his stronger blows forcing Link towards the wall. However, Link soon began to gain some ground and pushed back. Finally they locked swords and pushed against each other. Phantom Ganon was stronger, and began pushing the Master Sword closer to Link's neck with his own blade. However, Link was not without his own tricks, and he suddenly side-stepped. Phantom Ganon fell forward due to his own weight, giving Link a chance to jump back.

Phantom Ganon shook his head and rose to his feet. The demon spirit slashed at Link, but Link then performed the move Phantom Ganon could never overcome: the Helm Splitter. Leaping over Phantom Ganon's head, Link slashed at his skull, slicing it open. Phantom Ganon grabbed his head and yelled, "No! Not again! Nooo! EEEAARRGGGHHH!"

The demon promptly blew apart, his sword clattering against the ground. A door on the other side of the room then opened up, and Link ran over to it and threw it open, ready to face Ganondorf.


	32. Ganondorf's Final Stand

**Chapter Thirty-One: Ganondorf's Final Stand**

The four of them simultaneously ended up in the next room, the doors to the fighting chambers all leading to the same room. Everyone quickly looked around. Vaati was the first to notice Raven's bleeding leg. "Raven!" he yelled in worry, rushing over to her side.

Raven gingerly knelt down to reduce the pain as Vaati came to her and kneeled beside her while the others looked on. "I can heal this quickly," Vaati said. "Hold still."

Vaati placed his hands over Raven's wound and performed a quick healing spell. Once that was done, Raven and Vaati stood up and looked to their comrades. "Now then, don't we have a power-hungry old man to beat?" Raven quipped with a smirk.

Link nodded with a wry smile. The group then glanced at the only other door in the room besides the ones they had just entered. There was no doubt Ganondorf waited on the other side. With Link in the front, they opened the door and found another set of winding stairs. These they quickly traversed, a feeling of impending doom growing in their hearts with each step they took. Finally they came across a large door bearing the Gerudo symbol of a star and crescent moon and threw it open. As they walked inside, the door sealed shut behind them.

They found themselves in a wide room, stained-glass windows depicting a giant blue-skinned pig committing various violent acts of conquest lined the walls, letting in a fell light that made the person watching them from his throne at the other end of the room all the more sinister. Ganondorf sneered as he gazed upon his enemies. "Well, well," he began. "I somehow expected you would make it past my commanders. I commend your bravery and skill. However, I also pity your foolhardiness."

Ganondorf's smile darkened. Link stepped forward and announced boldly, "Time and again you've been defeated by my ancestors, the previous Heroes of Time! What makes you think this time will be any different, especially now that I'm not fighting you alone?"

Ganondorf said nothing. "Just as I thought, old fool," Vaati added with a sly smile. "Every time you rise up to take Hyrule for your own, you believe this will be the time you will defeat the Hero. Even if you grow stronger, the Hero shall grow stronger as well. Face it, Ganondorf! You're fighting a battle you can't win, participating in a cycle that's doomed to repeat itself forever!"

Ganondorf's fists clenched as he glared at them angrily. Now Raven spoke up. "I know I haven't been here long enough to know Hyrule's full history, I've learned enough to know that no matter what, you'll never get what you want, as long as there are people who are willing to stand against you. You might as well give up, because you have nothing to gain from your attempts at conquest."

Ganondorf grit his teeth in anger. "How…_dare you_!" he growled viciously, the room darkening at his words. "You heroes think that your cause is the only just one, and that I'm nothing but a heartless beast who thirsts for destruction! Let me tell you this, you naïve little bastards, you're not so pure yourselves! The very kingdom you defend is guilty of murdering thousands of innocent people, all because of the mistakes of one foolish man!"

This gave Link pause. "My first 'attempt at conquest' was me trying to make a better future for the Gerudo! My people were forced by the vain Hylians to eke out a meager existence in the deserts! During the days, hot, searing winds would burn our skin and destroy what little crops we had. When night came, the winds turned cold, chilling our beds and claiming the eldest and youngest, for us to find their frost-bitten corpses in the morning. I could not stand living like this any longer, knowing that while we starved, the Hylians, those favored by the blasted Goddesses, lived in times of peace and plenty!

"So I ventured into the Golden Land, the Sacred Realm of the Goddesses where the Triforce dwelled. I would show those Hylian fools that the Gerudo were done living in exile! I made them see what they had doomed my people to, and I subjected them to the same fate, to make them pay for this injustice! But then the first Hero of Time came. He and his precious Princess had the nerve to call me a ruthless tyrant, and they sealed me in the Sacred Realm for what was supposed to be an eternity!

"And do you know what happened next? Just a few decades later, the son of the First Hero and the Princess declared my people undeserving of life, just because I was of the same race. He believed that all Gerudo were bad, and so he sent his armies to Gerudo Fortress in the dead of night. Women and children were murdered in their sleep. Babies were thrown off rooftops. The records of our history destroyed. And do you know what? The Hylian people _rejoiced_. They rejoiced in the knowledge that an entire _civilization_ was literally wiped off the face of the earth! These are the people you continue to defend, boy! These are what the favored race of the Goddesses truly are! I hate them! I hate you! You've robbed me of my well-deserved revenge for long enough, and I'm going to make you pay for every plot foiled! Prepare yourselves, heroes, because I'm going to kill every single one of you!"

Ganondorf stood from his throne, an angry scowl on his face. The Dark Lord then drew his sword and readied a ball of energy in his hand. Link was caught so far off-guard by Ganondorf's outburst that he almost didn't parry Ganondorf's attack in time. Link fell back, unable to contend with the single-minded rage of his enemy. This was Vaati, Raven, and Buster's cue to intervene, Vaati drawing his sword and blasting Ganondorf aside with a powerful wind spell. As Ganondorf stumbled, Raven hit him with a wave of black energy, and Buster slashed at Ganondorf's back.

Ganondorf fell to the ground, allowing Link to recover. But the Dark Lord was down only for a moment. He leapt to his feet and retaliated with a roar and a broad sweep of his hand, a massive burst of lightning shooting out of his palm and scattering in every direction. No one was able to dodge, and all felt the force of Ganondorf's rage as electricity channeled through their bodies. Ganondorf jumped at Link and raised his sword above his head. Link raised the Master Sword to defend himself, but before he could, two blades crossed above him, both blocking Ganondorf's sword. Vaati and Buster simultaneously pushed Ganondorf back, and Link then joined them. Link, Buster, and Vaati all pointed their blades at a furious Ganondorf. With an angry shout, Ganondorf charged his blade full of dark energy and swung at Vaati. The Wind Mage parried, charging his sword full of energy as well to counter Ganondorf's magic. Ganondorf broke away from Vaati to parry a blow sent by Buster, then by Link. Though it was three against one, Ganondorf seemed to be holding his own.

Meanwhile, Raven was looking for a way to exploit a possible weakness on Ganondorf. Then she noticed the empty throne and thrust her hand towards it, enveloping it in dark energy. The throne loosened from the floor and hovered in the air. Vaati, Link, and Buster noticed what she was doing in time and jumped aside. Ganondorf took too long choosing another enemy to attack and was hit hard from behind by his own throne. The heavy golden chair slammed Ganondorf against the wall. Suddenly the throne exploded, and Ganondorf reappeared from the rubble, his whole body glowing. "Enough of this!" he roared. "Die now! DIE!"

Where the Dark King once stood was now the great blue boar, pure rage in its eyes. With a snap of his fingers, the Trident of Power appeared in his hands. The demon pig swiped madly at his enemies, always barely missing. Buster tried to slash at Ganon's arm, but his weapon merely glanced off Ganon's shoulder. He jumped back to avoid being impaled by the trident. Vaati shot a dark energy beam at Ganon's chest, but this made him stumble only a little, and Ganon retaliated by sending a horde of flaming bats at the heroes with a spin of the trident.

Vaati whipped his hand around, dispelling the attack with a large burst of wind. Ganon then jumped into the air and tried to flatten Link beneath his mighty bulk, but the Hero somersaulted away just in time. Raven flew above him and sent salvos of dark energy discs at Ganon's back. They exploded against the mad king with concussive force, but they could cause no lasting damage. In his single-minded craze, Ganon whipped around and hurled the trident at Raven. Raven dove downward to dodge, but the spinning weapon followed her, threatening to cleave her in two. Unfortunately she didn't pay attention to where she was going, and a moment later she found herself in Ganon's mighty grip.

Before she could defend herself, Ganon squeezed tightly, cutting off Raven's air supply. Ganon caught the trident with his other and readied an energy blast. Suddenly Ganon felt a hand grab his forearm, halting his attack. Ganon turned to his assailant and found a giant winged demon eye staring murderously back at him. With his other hand, Vaati landed a wicked right cross to Ganon's face, breaking one of his tusks. The blow was so strong it caused Ganon to release his hold on Raven, who fell to the ground gasping desperately for air.

Ganon snarled at Vaati and thrust the trident at Vaati's eye. Vaati quickly grabbed it and twisted it out of Ganon's hand, throwing it out of Ganon's reach. Ganon leapt at Vaati with a feral rage unmatched by any beast ever seen in Hyrule and knocked him to the ground. As Ganon attempted to pin Vaati down, the demon eye shot a beam of intense energy into Ganon's face, throwing the giant boar off his feet and momentarily stunning him. Vaati looked at his companions. "All right, here's the plan! He's so full of rage that he'll attack anyone who attacks him! I'll keep him busy! Link, when you find an opening, shove the Master Sword into Ganon's head! The rest of you stay back!"

By this time, Ganon was on his feet again and charging at Vaati. Vaati met Ganon's advance and grappled with the Dark King. The two beasts slammed each other into walls, scratching, clawing, and tearing at one another. Everyone had to dodge the mighty clash of titans unless they wanted to get crushed in their wake. Link kept his eyes locked on Ganon, watching for a chance to strike without accidentally getting in Vaati's way. Finally he noticed Vaati glance knowingly at him before punching Ganon's jaw. Link spurred forward as Ganon stumbled back and jumped towards Ganon's head. Before Ganon could react, the Master Sword plunged into his head.

Link jumped off as Ganon stood stock-still. Everyone watched the King of Evil carefully. And finally, all noticed a single tear trickle down the boar's face as his body slowly turned to stone. After a few seconds of solemn silence, Vaati swiped at the statue of Ganon, shattering it to fragments. As the pieces collapsed to the ground, a golden triangle appeared in the rubble, shining brightly. There was no mistaking it; it was the Triforce of Power. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Ganondorf was finally dead.

XXX000XXX

**Derp. Sorry this took so freaking long, but life's been busy. However, I've still been thinking up ideas for this story and I really want the start the third arc, (where our heroes return to Jump Hell to defeat Dethl.) so here you all go!**


	33. Celebrations and Fanfare

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Celebrations and Fanfare**

For a few moments, everyone just stood there, staring at the Triforce of Power. Suddenly, all eyes were drawn upward by a shining light above them. From within this light appeared a crystal containing Princess Zelda, who had her arms crossed over her chest. The crystal slowly descended to the floor by the Triforce of Power, and Zelda threw her arms out, shattering the crystal into millions of pieces. "Zelda!" Link cried ecstatically, taking a few steps forward. "You're alright!"

Zelda smiled before kneeling down and picking up the Triforce of Power. She then cast her wise gaze over her rescuers. "Thank you. All of you. But we cannot stay here much longer."

As if to further her point, the tower suddenly shuddered violently, cracks beginning to appear in the walls, floor, and ceiling. "What's going on?" Raven shouted worriedly as she looked around.

"With Ganondorf dead, the magic keeping his castle protected from Death Mountain is no longer holding it up!" Vaati explained. "We must leave before we're crushed! Everyone gather close to me!"

Everyone did as they were told, and the Wind Mage performed his warp spell, teleporting them safely away from the collapsing tower.

XXXXXX

The battling armies suddenly stopped fighting as they heard a tremendous rumbling noise coming from the direction of Death Mountain. All eyes turned to see the mighty fortress of Ganondorf shudder and begin to collapse. The tower snapped in the middle like a twig in the wind and fell down, down towards the unforgiving slopes of the mountain, the rest of the castle quickly following. Upon this sight, the servants of Ganondorf were unanimously bereft of their fighting spirit. A few slew themselves in utter despair, but most dropped their weapons, turned, and fled the battlefield, crying out in horror at the fall of their master. Their enemies pursued relentlessly for many kilometers, killing those whom they could catch, but a few were lucky and successfully escaped the wrath of Hyrule.

Argorok, bruised and beaten from his intense fight with the Helmaroc King, roared in despair and retreated far to the southeast towards the relative safety of the barren deserts. Helmaroc, too exhausted to pursue, simply watched his nemesis flee and glided towards the ground, where the victorious were gathering in celebration. As he touched ground, a bright flash of light halted all noise and forced many to cover their eyes. When the light subsided, there stood their saviors, and most importantly, their beloved Princess Zelda.

Upon seeing them, the soldiers, monsters and Hyruleans alike, burst into even greater fits of applause and cheers. Shouts of "Ganondorf is fallen!" and "The Princess is safe!" permeated the air as Zelda beamed widely before addressing the armies that had fought to liberate her. "People of Hyrule!" she declared in a warm voice. "Hylians, Zoras, Gorons, Moblins, Darknuts, Wizzrobes, warriors of our fair land! I thank you for the effort spent to free me from the Dark Lord. And because of all your efforts, Ganondorf is finally dead! And the Triforce of Power no longer sustains him! Rejoice, my friends! Rejoice!"

As she said these words, she held the Triforce of Power above her head, and the fanfare intensified to the point of hurting Vaati's ears. "Let us move on from these despairing times and work together to usher in an era of peace and prosperity for all to enjoy!" Zelda continued, earning her more applause.

XXXXXX

The applause from the battlefield could barely hold a candle to the fanfare the returning armies received from the people as the marched victoriously into Hyrule Town. The soldiers' heads were high as civilians in the streets, on the rooftops, and in the windows of their homes tossed flowers towards them and cheered in pure joy, knowing they were free from Ganon's reign. Zelda, Link, Vaati, Raven, and Buster rode at the front, all astride great war horses that carried their charges proudly through the ecstatic mob towards the waiting castle.

Celebrations were held in the city. People and monsters (who actually soon found the whole thing enjoyable) danced together in the streets, traded stories together, and cooked great meals for all to partake in. IN the castle, the celebrations were more formal, but no less joyful. Nobles danced in the great hall of the castle while the princess ate with her rescuers. Vaati reveled in the lovely meats and fruits before him. Buster reveled in his drink, and Hyrule experienced its first drunk Darknut. As Vaati took a bite out of a roasted turkey leg, Zelda put her goblet down and leaned forward. "I trust you have enjoyed the celebrations?" she said to her guests.

At once, Vaati became somber once more as he recalled what he had left to do. Raven looked in his direction, sharing the same thoughts. "We've reached a great milestone in our journey," Vaati replied. "But there is still much to be done. Raven and I cannot linger here, as there are still others who need us. They gave me something that I thought I would never have…and I owe it to them to help save them and their home from my father."

Zelda smiled. "I'm sure you will succeed in your ultimate goal. I have faith in you two. We've had our conflicts in the past, Vaati, but it makes me glad that you have become a better person."

"Heh. Who would have thought it would take me being beaten to within an inch of my life and being sent to an alternate universe to make me see the light?"

Vaati glanced at Raven, who smiled and took his hand in her own. Link looked up from the cucco breast he was demolishing and added, "You know, I could always come along and help."

Raven fixed a firm gaze on the Hero and replied, "Thank you, but this our fight. Dethl hurt us, not you. He's no danger to Hyrule. Besides, you'll be needed here. Some of Ganondorf's minions are still alive, and I have a feeling they'll find a leader in that armored dragon, Argorok."

Link nodded in agreement. "Yeah, there's that. Though they probably won't follow him the way they did Ganondorf. I wouldn't put it past them to try and reclaim the Triforce of Power in order to bring him back. But don't worry. I won't let that happen."

At the other end of the table, Buster succumbed to his drink, his head smashing into his plate as he drifted out of consciousness. Vaati glanced at his friend and cocked an amused eyebrow. "I think Buster has the right idea. Perhaps we should turn in for tonight. Tomorrow we shall depart for home…and Dethl."

Zelda and Link stood up from their seats and smiled warmly at them. "We'll see you off in the morning, then," Zelda answered. "Goodnight, Vaati and Raven."

Vaati and Raven bade goodnight as well and left to retire to their room in one of the towers. When they arrived, Vaati opened the door and let Raven enter before him. The two of them then retired to their bed for a good night's sleep. As his eyes slowly closed and dreams overtook him, Vaati thought to himself, _Now it's your turn…father._

**XXXXXX00000XXXXXXX**

**Well, that just about covers the Hyrule arc of this story. Now we are two-thirds of the way through and ready to return to Jump Hell, as I am now calling it. I just couldn't kill Argorok. (I think my fellow author fleets has something to do with it lolz) Oh well, that'll give Ganondorf's minions someone to help coordinate a revival plan for the guy. After all, what's Legend of Zelda without Ganondorf?**

**But be warned. Once Vaati, Buster, and Raven return to Jump Hell, this story's gonna take a pretty dark turn, not just because of the nightmarish hell Dethl has turned Jump City into, but also because Majora's going to be the cause of some pretty disturbing and downright sadistic events. Don't expect M-rated stuff per se, but still, watch yourself as you read.**


	34. The Return Home

**Chapter Thirty-Three: The Return Home**

The next morning, Vaati, Raven, and Buster met Link and Zelda outside in the castle courtyard. A few of Vaati's monsters were there as well to see him off, as well as the Helmaroc King. Zelda took something from her pocket and held it out to Vaati, revealing it to be a small green crystal. Vaati looked at it quizzically. "This is a Farore's Crystal," she explained. "I hold another one connected to this one. It will allow you to communicate with me if need be. All you need to do to activate it is say, 'Farore, grant me the ears of the other.' Also, it can open a gateway between this realm and yours. To do that, place the crystal on the ground and say, 'Farore, grant me access to your realm.' Make it a point to visit us again."

Vaati slowly took it from her hand and pocketed it. "Thank you, Princess. We'll make sure to do that."

Zelda smiled and stepped back. Link came forward and said, "Are you sure you don't need my help?"

Vaati smirked. "I'm fairly sure we can take care of ourselves, Link."

Link looked down at his feet. "You know, I can't say I expected this, but…" The Hero looked up at his former enemy and held out his hand. "I'm glad we can part as friends."

Vaati looked at him funny, then straightened up and shook hands with Link. "Likewise."

Vaati then turned to the Helmaroc King. "You've been a loyal servant…and a trusted friend. You are the new Lord of the Skies, Helmaroc. You will help my servants integrate into Hyrulean society."

The Helmaroc King's eyes widened. _But…My Lord, I…_

"I understand it's a big responsibility, but you are a king in your own right, so you can handle it. Do everything you can to ensure there is peace between monsters and men."

"I assure you, Vaati," Zelda added, "I'll do everything to promote that peace as well. My ancestors made a mistake with Ganondorf's people, one I am loath to allow to repeat with yours."

Vaati nodded to her in approval before returning his gaze to Helmaroc. "Will you do this for me?"

Helmaroc was silent for a few moments, but finally bowed his head in respect. _Yes, Lord Vaati. I shall._

Link took this time to turn his attention to Raven and Buster. "Well, I hardly got to know either of you, but I'm glad you fought at my side. You take care of Vaati, all right?" he said to Raven. Then to Buster: "And I won't forget what you told me about heroes and villains. Perhaps…next time, I may find a way to talk them down instead of fighting them. Good luck to you too, Buster."

The Hero and the Darknut clasped arms in mutual respect.

Vaati then nodded to Zelda, who brought out the Triforce, the completed, whole Triforce, and held it out in front of her. A golden light shot out of the sacred relic and opened a rip in dimensions big enough for a person to walk through. An image slowly faded into view that starkly contrasted with the bright atmosphere of Hyrule. The sky was a dark shade of red, as if the mysterious black vines in the distant background were bleeding it like a stuck pig. The buildings that had made up the city were now barren skeletons, lacking roofs, doors, and windows. The death-light emanating from the sunless sky cast the buildings in a dark shadow.

Vaati, Raven, and Buster looked hard into what awaited them on the other side, and Vaati found himself for a moment questioning whether going there was a good idea. _Hyrule is safe. This land will know peace for a long time. There will be peace and happy times. But if I walk through that portal, I leave it all behind. Is it worth it…?_

Vaati closed his eyes and bowed his head as if deep thought. Finally he looked up, opened his eyes again, and allowed a small smirk to play out across his face. _Yes._

Vaati and his companions stepped simultaneously towards the portal. "Good luck, you three," Zelda said. "May the Goddesses watch over you on your journey."

Vaati and Raven nodded one last time to Zelda and Link and then turned their gaze back to the portal. Without another word, the three heroes of Jump City stepped through and entered Jump Hell. Now that they were on the other side, the magnitude of the desolation hit them. The darkness in the air was oppressive, almost making it difficult for them to breathe. A fell wind washed over them, causing chills to creep up their spine. They turned around and looked back through the portal, where the sunlit beauty of Hyrule could still be seen. Once again a fleeting desire to run back through that portal, back to the wondrous beauty of that sacred land and away from the desolate ruin that was Dethl's domain, gripped Vaati's heart, but he suppressed it as he watched Zelda give them one last reassuring smile before holding up the Triforce once more. With a hiss, the portal shrank until it popped out of existence, leaving them stranded in this dark abyss.

Vaati, Raven, and Buster all stared for a few moments where the portal had once been before looking at each other. "Well, let's get this over with," Vaati said with a sigh.

Raven took in their surroundings, noticing once more the four obelisks that pointed heavenward, one situated against the slope of the volcano in downtown Jump City, one reaching out of the waters of the bay, another sitting atop a mountain overlooking the city, and the final one situated on the outskirts of the city ruins. Raven then noticed something peculiar about the obelisks: each one of them were shooting out a beam of light that went off in each of the cardinal directions. The volcano's obelisk radiated a red beam towards the east, the bay's obelisk sent a blue one towards the north, the one on the mountain had a green one shooting westward, and the one on the outskirts was sending a purple beam southward. "Vaati, did you see energy beams coming from those obelisks before?" Raven asked.

Vaati looked up to understand what she meant and noticed as well. "No…I have a feeling those came up after we were sent to Hyrule. I can sense so much energy coming from them, but…somehow…it doesn't feel like Dethl's power…It feels more like…" Vaati's eyes suddenly widened in horror as he accepted the realization. "Oh Goddesses…"

Raven could feel it too, and it made her blood run cold. The energy from those obelisks were radiating out to the rest of the world to fully envelop it into Dethl's nightmare realm. But the worst part was that the power sustaining those beams was not of Dethl's making.

Those four beams contained the essence of the four Teen Titans.

This realization shook both sorcerers to the core. Their friends were essentially being used as batteries to power the obelisks. Raven was actually struggling to contain her anger at this, while Buster, lacking as keen a sense of souls and magic, said, "What's going on? Why are you all looking like you've seen a ghost?"

"Those obelisks," Raven uttered slowly, struggling to keep her tone even. "They're being powered by the life energy of our friends…"

Buster glanced at the obelisks with a horror-stricken look before turning to Vaati. "So what do we do now?"

Vaati was silent for a moment as he pondered, and then turned around and answered, "We save Jump City. We'll start with the nearest obelisk, the one on the volcano, where Robin is being held. Then we'll go from there."

The group then began heading towards downtown Jump City, and the Fire Obelisk.

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From within its chamber high up in the Nightmare Tower, Dethl watched its son and his companions return to its land from Hyrule with a look of frustration. "Feh! We should have known those whelps would make it back!" Dethl snarled to itself as it broke its connection with the looking-glass. "That idiot hero always getting in the way, muddling up our plans! Hmm-hm-hm! But the hero is not here. They're all alone. Even if they do survive the coming ordeal with the dragon we placed to guard the Obelisk of Fire, once they reached the Obelisk of Earth, it's over! Majora will crush them like insects! Hehehehahahahahahahahaha!"

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**Aaaaaand that concludes the second arc of this story! We are now about two-thirds of the way through, but this is where it gets Darker and Edgier (thank you, TV Tropes :P) so stay tuned, loyal readers! (all two of them :/) Now we can refocus on Dethl being the main villain!**


	35. The Fire Obelisk

**Chapter Thirty-Four: The Fire Obelisk**

Vaati led the others into the city limits, looking around for any sign of trouble. A low rumbling noise in the distance heralded their approaching of the volcano. Lava spewed out of the crater, splashing onto the slopes and dripping down the sides in small rivers. However, the lava seemed to cause no harm to the tall structure hugging the slope. In fact, it was soon revealed that there was a chamber of stone connecting the Fire Obelisk to the mountainside.

A sudden tremor nearly knocked them off their feet, but they quickly regained their footing in time to see a small group of black shapes moving towards them from out of the shadows of several buildings. They each bore a single eye that stared unblinkingly at their victims as their bodies writhed in indistinguishable masses. They had no clearly-defined body shape. The shadow-wights charged at Vaati, Raven, and Buster, who all stood at the ready. Judging from the number of eyes, Vaati could count six shadow-wights approaching them.

"Go for the eyes," Vaati ordered, drawing his sword. "Save your magic for the obelisk."

One shadow-wight approached the wind mage and shot out a tendril. Vaati teleported out of its path and behind the creature. The beast turned around to see Vaati plunge his blade into its eye. The shadow-wight screeched horribly before bursting into a pile of ashes. Three others ganged up on Buster, who slashed one of them in the eye and kicked another in the same place. The third, however, leapt on top of him and knocked the Darknut onto the ground. As a mouth with rows of sharp yellow teeth appeared beneath the shadow-wight's eye, Buster grabbed the creature's eye and squeezed as hard as he could, eventually crushing the thing in his grasp.

The last two came at Raven with hunger in their eyes. Raven promptly kicked one in the eye, killing it. The other one suddenly realized it was now alone and fled back into the shadows. Everyone looked around to make sure there weren't any others hiding nearby before continuing on. About an hour later they reached the summit of the volcano. Vaati looked up at the crater high above them spewing out fire and ash, noticing a trail leading up the slope into a small cavern on the mountainside.

Vaati wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to his friends. "It looks like the only way to the Fire Obelisk is through the volcano. It's going to be very hot inside that crater. I suggest we remove any of our clothing that would be hazardous to wear inside."

The others blinked in surprise but understood. Buster's armor would heat up in the crater, and Raven's tight-fitting black jumpsuit would also absorb the heat and endanger her. With that they began to strip, Vaati removing his hat, unbuckling his belt, and removing his tunic and cape, Raven unzipping the back of her jumpsuit and pulling it off, leaving her wearing only her black bra and panties, and removing her cloak as well, and Buster taking off all his remaining armor, including his chainmail shirt, tunic, and helmet, so that he was left bare-chested and wearing only his trousers and his leather gloves so he could hold his sword without burning his hand. Everyone still kept their footwear on.

Once this was done, everyone looked to each other again. Raven looked at Vaati's chest and felt a pang of lust. Vaati was by no means muscular, but he was still handsome enough. Vaati's eyes looked Raven up and down, and he had to fight very hard not to give in to his lust as well, every graceful curve now there for him to see, her soft skin a much-desired beacon of life in this dead landscape, her little wink of a belly button rising and falling with her stomach with each breath she took. Vaati was sure he'd never see such a beautiful person anywhere else in any universe. "Hey, Earth to pretty boy, come in, pretty boy," Raven suddenly said, waving her hand in front of Vaati's face and jarring him from his moment of reverie.

"Eh…ahem…what?"

"I know it's hard for you to take your eyes off me, but I think we should focus more on the matter at hand."

Vaati's normally-pale cheeks suddenly took on a more crimson sheen as he cast his glance nervously sideways. "Sorry," he answered with a nervous smile.

Raven walked up to him and ran her fingers down his bare chest as she looked into his eyes. "No…don't be sorry," she replied. "Not for anything."

Their lips interlocked as the two shared a passionate kiss, running their hands across each other's shoulders and the back of their necks. Buster looked away and remained quiet to prevent spoiling their moment.

Five seconds ticked by…ten…thirty. They could have stayed in that embrace for eternity if they so chose, comforted by each other's touch, but finally they stopped, opening their eyes again and stepping back. Vaati glanced once more towards their objective. "Let's go. We'll leave our stuff here until we return."

The three of them began trudging up the mountainside, following the trail that led towards the entrance to the crater. As they got closer, they could feel the heat intensifying. A sudden tremor nearly sent them to the ground, but they steadied themselves as a few rocks tumbled past them, shaken loose by the volcano's trembling. Eventually they reached the entrance to the cavern, where the heat came out in intense waves and a faint red glow shone on the walls within. Vaati looked on for a moment before walking into the cave. Raven immediately followed, and Buster took up the rear.

The heat inside the tunnel was nearly unbearable. Sweltering hot air pushed at them, instantly drying the sweat clinging to their bodies. After a few minutes of walking, the tunnel finally opened up into a wide chamber, no doubt the crater's interior. In the center of the crater was a large circular stone platform. A stone bridge extended from the end of the entrance tunnel to the platform, and another led from the platform to another tunnel on the other side of the room. A lake of red-hot lava boiled below them.

Vaati glanced at all this and started walking slowly across the bridge until he reached the center platform. He then turned around and motioned for the rest of them to follow. Raven nodded and went next, followed by Buster, joining him on the platform. Once they were together, Vaati looked around and realized something. "Guys…something's off," he said warily. "Something doesn't feel right here."

"What is it?" Buster asked, equally worried.

Before Vaati could answer, something else happened. A sudden explosion of lava roared behind them as something burst of the fiery lake directly underneath the stone bridge they had just walked across. Everyone jumped back with a yelp of surprise to avoid the lava splashing onto the edge of the platform. Vaati's eyes widened as the thing rose up out of the lava to face them. It was a great red dragon, with a narrow, arrowhead-shaped head, straight black horns, and burning yellow eyes that glared hungrily at its soon-to-be victims, all attached to a long, prehensile neck that reached all the way into the lava, where the rest of its body was presumably located. The Magma-Dwelling Dragon Emberwing, nearly twice the size of Argorok, opened its gaping maw and sent a stream of white-hot flames at the heroes. Vaati whipped his hand out, creating an energy shield that dissipated the raging flames.

Emberwing snarled in anger. The dragon extended its body further out of the lava, so that its arms and the tips of its wings could be seen. Emberwing raised one mighty arm and slashed through Vaati's shield as though it were paper. Vaati, taken by surprise, fell backward onto the hard ground. The hot rock burned his back, also catching him off-guard. Sensing victory, Emberwing arched its head back like a snake ready to strike, a hungry glint in its fiery eyes. The beast then struck at the Wind Mage, its mouth open wide and ready to devour its victim. But right before it could reach Vaati, it slammed headfirst into another solid surface.

Stunned by Raven's energy shield, Emberwing slumped onto the ground. Buster took a cue from her and leapt forward, bringing his sword crashing down upon the dragon's head. His sword, however, was unable to inflict a fatal wound, but it was enough to bring the dragon back to its senses. Enraged, Emberwing slipped back into the lava down to its shoulders and let loose another blast of flame. Vaati, having recovered from the exertion of his last attack, issued a jet of intense wind to counter.

Flames swirled around the two opponents as their two signature attacks clashed. Emberwing, however, faltered first, out of breath. Smirking, Vaati ceased the wind spell and charged up a dark energy blast in his hand, shooting it at Emberwing's head. The lava dragon saw it coming and arched its neck sideways, avoiding the spell. Raven looked around, hoping to find a way to make herself more useful in this fight. Finally something caught her eye: a large stone boulder loosely embedded in the remains of the bridge they had entered from.

Concentrating, Raven enveloped the boulder in dark energy and lifted it into the air. Turning towards the dragon, she cried to her lover, "Vaati! Look out!"

Vaati saw what she was doing out of the corner of her eye and leapt aside in time to dodge a swipe of Emberwing's obsidian talons. Before it could recover, Raven slammed the boulder full force into the dragon's chest, smashing the stunned beast against the wall. The dragon's eyes went wide before it collapsed into the lake of lava and sank beneath it.

Vaati got to his feet and looked at where the dragon had disappeared. "I doubt this is over yet," he said cautiously. "Be ready!"

And once again, the Wind Mage's intuition proved true as another explosion of molten rock heralded the beast's return. But this time, Emberwing was no longer content to stay within the confines of its lake. The dragon instead rose into the air, flapping its great yellow wings to stay aloft as it glared murderously at its enemies.

Emberwing dove towards the ground, its talons outstretched. Everyone jumped to the side, and the dragon's claws raked the ground where they had just been. Emberwing flew to the other side of the room and latched onto the wall. Once on their feet again, everyone looked up to see what Emberwing was doing. The dragon was climbing the walls of the crater, its wings folding and unfolding as it did so. The creature climbed higher and higher until it could no longer be seen through the smoke rising out of the crater.

Vaati glanced worriedly at his companions, hoping beyond hope that they had an idea about what Emberwing was up to. Suddenly a sound like breaking rocks resounded above them, and before they knew it, large rocks fell through the smoke towards them. Vaati and Raven both cast shields around themselves to ward them off, but were unprepared for what happened next.

Emberwing suddenly emerged from the smoke, barreling down towards the platform at breakneck speed. The beast extended its claws and landed on all fours in the middle of the platform, the shockwave knocking everyone off their feet. Emberwing cast its sinister gaze at Vaati, recognizing him as the most threatening member of the group, and started towards him. Buster was the first to stand and saw what was going on, charging towards the monster to protect his master and friend. With a great war cry, he slammed the gleaming blade against the dragon's hindquarters, tearing through muscle and severing tendons.

Emberwing shrieked in agony and fury as it fell sideways, overcome by the immense pain in its left back leg. Buster didn't hesitate for a moment. As Emberwing fell, he rushed at the monster's head. Emberwing looked up at him, eyes widening with horror as it saw Buster's sword slice clean through its neck. The look of stunned disbelief remained on the dragon's face even as the head detached from the body and rolled to the side. The body twitched violently as glowing orange blood spurted out of the neck stump, but the threat had subsided.

Vaati got to his feet and walked over to the severed head. Grimacing, he gave the head a good kick, sending it splashing into the lava. "Let's find Robin and get the hell out of here," he grunted.

Nodding, Raven and Buster followed him across the only remaining bridge out of the battlefield. It wasn't long before they reached a stone door bearing the sigil of a black orb with a single greenish-white eye. Without a word, Vaati thrust the door open, and they were met by a welcoming, if pitiful sight.

Robin, looking the worse for wear, was chained to a stone pillar shooting red energy upwards towards the top of the obelisk. Hearing the noise, Robin slowly lifted his head and blinked deliriously at his rescuers. "V…Vaati? Raven…? B…Buster? Is that…you?"

"Yes, we're here," Raven answered as assuring as she could kneeling at his side as Vaati shot a narrow beam of energy at the cuffs, breaking them and disrupting Robin's connection to the Obelisk of Fire.

Without the energy feeding it, the red beam vanished. Robin, however, slumped to the ground, grunting in exhaustion. "Robin, can you stand?" Vaati asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Robin tried once more, but his legs wouldn't carry him. "Guys…I feel so…weak. I don't…think I can…"

"Say no more," Vaati answered. "I'm getting us all out of here. Everyone gather close to us."

They all huddled together, and Vaati performed his warp spell, leading them safely away from the now-powerless obelisk.

**XXXXX0000XXXXXX**

**Well, guys, just thought I'd try my hand at a little female body inspection on Vaati's part to make the romance feel a little more real. Anyways, first obelisk down w00t! Only three to go! So which obelisk will they go for next? Will Robin be able to recover from his ordeal? Will the US Army Rangers beat the North Korea Special Operations Forces on next week's Deadliest Warrior? Why am I even asking these questions?**


	36. Into Deeper Darkness

**Sorry about the delay, guys! I've been so distracted lately, whether it was due to Final Fantasy 6 or college work, but I finally got the time and the motivation to complete the next chapter to this story. I must warn you though, this chapter I have rated M because of some gore and disturbing material. You will also find that the later part of this chapter is a shout-out to a certain Majora's Mask creepypasta. Also, when you get to that part, I suggest you play this to set the mood for this scene: .com/watch?v=3ZGIMNplzAQ**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

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**Chapter Thirty-Five: Into Deeper Darkness**

Two days had passed since the incident at the Fire Obelisk. Or was it three? Or maybe a week? A month? Vaati could no longer tell. The atmosphere was always the same: no sun, no moon, nothing but the blood-red clouds and the black vines in the distance. Robin was still extremely weak. The Fire Obelisk had been feeding off his life force, never enough to kill him but enough to drain him to the point of near-death. Vaati paced around, chewing a piece of beef jerky as he did so, watched by Raven as she knelt with Robin. Buster stood guard behind Raven, watching for any sign of demon activity.

Vaati doubted Robin's strength would return anytime soon without outside help, and this would prove to be a hindrance, as he would only slow them down. Vaati's hand suddenly brushed against the small pouch at his side, and immediately Vaati stopped as the realization hit him. He stuck his hand into the pouch and pulled out the Farore's Crystal. He held it in his fingers and glanced at Raven. "I think I know what to do in order to bring him to his senses," he said.

Raven and Buster looked at Vaati expectantly. "I'm going to Hyrule to fetch some Red Potions. I have a feeling the others will be in a similar state when we find them."

The others nodded in understanding before Vaati placed the Farore's Crystal on the ground and said, "Farore, grant me access to your realm."

Suddenly the crystal began glowing a warm green before a beam of light shot out of it and opened a gateway between dimensions leading to Hyrule. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't touch the crystal or it might deactivate," Vaati finished before stepping through.

The portal opened up in an empty alleyway of Hyrule, which suited Vaati just fine, as he didn't want to draw attention to himself and waste time. Quickly he maneuvered through the crowd of people marauding around Hyrule Castle Town Market looking for good deals until he reached the potions shop. Vaati promptly purchased five bottles of Red Potion and quickly returned to his portal, stepping back into Jump Hell. Once on the other side, he picked up the Farore's Crystal, causing the portal to disappear.

Raven and Buster looked up to see him walking over, opening a bottle of Red Potion as he approached. "Robin, are you awake?" Vaati inquired.

Though barely conscious, Robin lifted his head from where he lay and whispered, "Yeah."

"I have here a potion that will help you regain your strength. Drink it."

Vaati helped Robin hold the bottle steady as he slowly gulped down the potion. Once it was gone, Robin blinked in surprise as he felt life return to his agonized limbs, energy running through his body, rejuvenating every muscle. Robin slowly sat up and glanced up at his comrades. "Wow, it feels good to be back on my feet again."

"Yes indeed," Vaati agreed. "However, now is the time to continue with the task at hand. We're going to the Obelisk holding Starfire captive, and then we'll move on to the others. Let's go, shall we?"

Robin smiled grimly before hoisting himself to his feet. Vaati then began chanting a wind spell to take them all to the Earth Obelisk, and they began sailing in that direction on a tornado.

XXXXXX

Unbeknownst to them, they were being closely watched by hostile eyes from their destination. If his mask could smile, Majora most certainly would have as he watched his enemies approach the Obelisk. The God of Evil turned on his heel and strode into the cave leading to the Obelisk, laughing madly as he prepared for some much-needed fun. The wicked fiend strode through the dark cave, casting a sideways glance at the surprise he had waiting for his 'guests' before entering the room where Starfire was chained to the Obelisk. As she heard the door open, she slowly lifted her head and looked at her captor with tearful, hopeless eyes.

Her clothes had been torn in several places due to Majora's twisted 'games' he had played with her, which essentially amounted to raping her mind with his words and her body with his tentacle. He had also subjected her to various tortures using his magic, relishing her cries of agony until she had literally lost the strength to scream. In essence, Majora had turned the once-proud Tameranean princess and superhero into a nearly-lifeless shade of her former self, broken and dirty.

The very thought filled him with sadistic pleasure. Not a sense borne of one's innermost sexual desires, but one of consuming a drug that fed him power. Majora found it amusing that someone so headstrong could be so easily reduced to this…pathetic husk that groveled miserably at his feet, no longer bothered by the manacles that chained her to the Earth Obelisk and fed off her power. Majora gazed down upon her with those glowing eyes, and Starfire could not bear to look up and meet his predatory gaze. "Well, child, it seems your knights in shining armor have finally come to rescue you from the hell I have wrought," he hissed in his cold, cruel voice. "How fitting that they shall soon be subject to my whims, the same as you."

Majora snickered insanely. He didn't expect this to affect his prisoner much, so he was unprepared for her reply. "Then…it seems…your fun…is about…to end," she whispered, finally lifting her head up to meet the glaring eyes of Majora's Mask.

"Oh, don't be so quick to judge, little girl. I have a little surprise in store for your would-be rescuers. Once I'm through with them, they'll be quivering bloody messes on the floor begging me to end their wretched lives! And do you know what the best part is?"

Starfire's blood ran cold as Majora's voice lowered ominously, all traces of giddiness gone. "You get to watch."

XXXXXX

The tornado deposited the group at the entrance to a cave that no doubt led to the inside of the Obelisk where Starfire was located. Robin whipped out his Bo staff, and Vaati and Buster drew their swords. The rescuers then slowly continued on into the cave, confident they would be ready for whatever awaited them within.

The inside of the cave was dreadfully quiet. There was no sound other than the pattering of the intruders' feet as they ventured through the darkness. Finally the tunnel opened up into a wide room, with a few torches lining the walls to allow for some visibility. On the other side of the room was a sealed stone door, but that wasn't what immediately caught their attention. Standing stock-still in the middle of the room was…"Link?" Vaati asked incredulously.

The figure's back was to them, but in acknowledgement of Vaati's question, the figure's head turned…

_All the way around_.

That wasn't the only thing that made Vaati jump back in shock and horror. The Link-like figure's face was a dead one, an eerie smile stitched on its face and its eye sockets empty save for the maggots crawling around within. The rest of its body turned around so that the head was in the correct position, allowing the rusted sword and shield in its hands to be seen. Its voice came out as an eerie rendition of Link's voice, almost giving off a lifeless feel. "Let's…play a game…Tag. You run…and I…_kill_…"

The Deathly Doppelganger Fiend, Puppet Link started forward, raising its sword over its head as it walked forward in an unsteady, almost zombie-like gait. Vaati, Buster, Raven, Robin, none of them had felt any more scared than they did now. Nonetheless, they readied themselves for their disturbing adversary. Vaati shot a blast of dark energy at the creature, but the attack seemed to have no effect on it as it continued forward, its body twitching with each step. Raven sent her own energy at it, which also had no effect on Puppet Link. Finally Puppet Link raised its sword to strike, which Buster blocked. Unfortunately, the creature decided to eschew its weapon and instead leapt onto Buster's chest. The force of its attack was surprisingly strong enough to knock the Darknut over and cause him to lose his grip on his weapon.

Puppet Link grappled with a desperate Buster as he noticed its already-pale face turn a sickly shade of grey, the blond hair turn into a matted black mess, and tiny red dots to appear in its eye sockets. Its stitched mouth suddenly opened up, the stitches ripping through its black lips in the process, revealing a row of sharp yellowed teeth. Blood dripped out of its oral wounds as it tried to bite off Buster's face. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" Buster yelled as its face came closer despite his struggle.

Suddenly there was a sickening crunch as something collided with Puppet Link's head, momentarily stunning it. Robin struck it again right before Vaati grabbed the monstrous fiend and threw it off Buster. Puppet Link slowly stood up and revealed its cracked face. The monster still smiled even as red blood began seeping out of its mouth and eye sockets. "Hee hee…You shouldn't…have done that…" it hissed in a mock-playful tone.

Its face then cracked more until it completely shattered, revealing its rotting facial muscles and some parts of its skull. Disturbingly enough, it was still grinning like a serial killer. Puppet Link began walking forward once more, its rotten teeth bared. Vaati, Buster, and Robin all gritted their teeth and charged at Puppet Link. The monster then leapt into the air and collided with Vaati, knocking them both to the ground. But before the creature could fully pin Vaati down, Buster plunged his sword through its chest and lifted it up into the air, where Robin whacked its head repeatedly with his staff until it finally went limp. Buster unceremoniously swung his sword off to the side, sending Puppet Link crashing against the wall.

"Ah, for the love of Din…!" Buster complained as Puppet Link stirred again and brought itself to its knees.

"You play…rough…Now…_my turn_…"

Suddenly the creature's skin completely dissolved, and its shape began changing as rotting hands rose out of the ground all around the arena. The group quickly ran into the middle to escape their reach as their enemy finished its grotesque transformation. The creature's body was in an advanced state of decay, and its arms had now lost their fingers, and were now cradled against its body. Its neck was much longer, and its body was hunched over. The wound it had received from Buster's sword had widened to an abominable degree so that its stomach and intestines were hanging out of the gaping hole in its torso.

The Wretched Lich Fiend, Dead Hand snarled menacingly at its disgusted enemies before sluggishly moving towards them, its body bereft of legs. "Whatever you do," Vaati warned, "Stay out of those hands' reach!"

The undead creature opened its gaping maw in a mad desire to consume the flesh of its enemies to satiate its gnawing hunger. Mastering his fear, Vaati ran forward and slashed at its face repeatedly. This seemed to affect it greatly, as Dead Hand groaned in agony and it turned around and burrowed beneath the earth. The hands started reaching for them, and one almost managed to grab Raven's cloak, causing her to cry out in alarm. Dead Hand then reappeared from the ground directly behind Robin and thrust its head towards him. Unleashing a shocked cry, Robin instinctively struck the undead creature's head repeatedly, disorienting it. Vaati then ran forward and brought his sword down upon Dead Hand's neck, slicing cleanly through the rotting flesh and decapitating the monster.

As the head collapsed on the ground, the hands and its body began to wither and decay further, until they all crumbled to dust, allowing that dreadful silence to once again permeate the chamber. Strangely enough, the door did not open. Everyone looked around warily, watching for any sign of movement. And then came another chilling voice laced with sadism and amusement that echoed throughout the chamber. "Well well, I must say I'm impressed, young warriors. This has been quite fun to watch. However, I think it's time I made things even more exciting. And unfortunately for you, I'm afraid you won't survive this time!"


	37. Evil's True Face

**This is the last chapter that will be rated M due to implications of rape and language. After this it'll go back to T. I promise.**

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**Chapter Thirty-Six: Evil's True Face**

Vaati and his companions whirled around in all directions frantically, looking for the mysterious speaker. "Who are you?" Robin yelled. "Show yourself!"

"Who am I, you say?" the sinister voice replied. "Were you not from my world, I would have been insulted by your complete lack of knowledge. I am the epitome of darkness, the evil that commands the darkest shadows of human nature. The concept of evil was my creation, and the concept of evil sustains me. I am the God of Evil, the Heart of Darkness. But you may call me…"

Suddenly, out of a dark corner of the room, a pair of round eyes glowing like fire emerged, followed by a figure slowly stepping out of the darkness. His skin was black, his wings red, and the heart-shaped mask attached to his face purple and red. "…Majora," the figure finished with a mock bow.

Robin brandished his staff. "Where's Starfire?" he demanded, trying his best to quell the fear he felt rise in his chest.

"Oh, you mean the little girl I've been toying with while waiting for you to come? I don't think that matters, because you'll never see her again!"

The way Majora said that set Robin on edge. "_What did you do to her_?"

Majora snickered. "You should have been here. Oh, how she _screamed_. She called your name in the darkness, begging you to save her from the hell I created. And you didn't. You weren't here. She struggled, oh yes, she gave her best, but that only made it hurt more. I _hurt_ her, Robin. I hurt her in ways you couldn't even begin to _imagine_. And you know what? I enjoyed every minute of it!"

Robin's face went livid with rage and horror as Majora burst into an insane fit of laughter. "I took her innocence! Once a princess, now a filthy, dirty swine! Kyeheheheheheheh! And after a while, she just lay there and _took it_! Took it like a little…"

"YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" Robin roared, leaping at Majora in a fit of rage.

"Robin, wait!" Raven yelled, but Robin paid her no heed as he swung violently at Majora, who casually dodged.

Finally Majora grabbed Robin's staff and swung Robin over his head, who let go and slammed into the wall. Majora nonchalantly tossed the staff aside before crossing his arms over his face, causing a pair of long blades to jut out of his wrists. Then he assumed a fighting position and hissed, "Come on! Let's play!"

Everyone assumed fighting positions as well. Majora struck first, flying forward with his left arm outstretched. He reached Vaati in the blink of an eye and slashed at him. Vaati parried the attack, but hadn't counted on Majora's other wristblade, which suddenly cut into his shoulder. Vaati cried out in pain before blasting Majora back with a burst of wind magic. Buster charged at Majora as he was getting to his feet, but the masked fiend promptly teleported to the other side of the room.

Raven sent a flurry of energy beams Majora's way, but he nonchalantly blocked them with his wings before glaring at her with those glowing eyes. Suddenly Raven discovered why they were glowing as a white-hot pair of energy lasers shot out of his eyes, not even giving her enough time to raise a shield as the beams struck her squarely in the chest. Her eyes went wide with shock as she fell backward, and lay still on the ground.

Vaati looked on with a horrified expression. "RAVEN!" he screamed as he ran to her side, forgetting the battle between his teammates and Majora.

He knelt at her side and drew her into his arms. _Please, don't be dead. Please, dear Goddesses, don't let her be dead_! he begged silently as he shook her. "Raven! Don't die on me!"

Majora turned his way just as he finished sending Robin flying into Buster, slamming them both against the wall. "Ah, don't be a sap," he taunted. "She's not dead…yet! I only hit her hard enough to stun her. I have plans for her later, _oh yes I do_…"

Vaati looked up at Majora with an expression of pure hatred and fury. This would not stand. He was going to make that masked bastard _pay_ for what he did. And at that moment, a glimmer of the old Vaati returned as he screamed with rage, his body beginning to change. His eyes lost their color and became a milky-white as his body grew taller, and his sorcerer's attire morphed into swirling black robes of darkness. A golden headdress with two great horns sat on his head, and his flowing lavender hair waved in the winds generating around him as a great red eye opened up in his chest.

Robin and Buster widened their eyes in surprise as Vaati Reborn stared down the Mad God of Evil. Majora straightened up and regarded his opponent with a hint of amusement. "Ah, Vaati. That little form of yours didn't work on a child. What makes you think it will fare any better against me?"

"_I'm going to murder you_."

That shut Majora up as the Fallen One realized Vaati wasn't playing around. "All right then, Wind Mage," he hissed dangerously. "You want to play rough? Let's go!"

In one hand he charged a sphere of dark energy, while with the other, he pointed his wristblade at Vaati, who summoned a team of stone eyes to flank him. Majora hurled the energy ball at Vaati's eye. The stone eyes all fired a narrow beam of energy that dissipated Majora's attack. Changing strategy, Majora leapt forward, his blades raised. Vaati teleported out of his path and reappeared by Robin and Buster. "Watch over Raven," he ordered. "Don't let her get caught in the crossfire. Understood?"

Surprised by the forceful tone, Robin and Buster merely shook their heads as Majora turned around. Vaati whipped his arms around and sent salvoes of fireballs at Majora, while simultaneously shooting lasers out of the stone eyes. Majora managed to block most of the attacks thrown at him, but one stray laser succeeded in streaking into his shoulder, unleashing a grunt of surprise as Majora recoiled. He glanced at the still-smoking burn mark on his body and glared malevolently at Vaati. "You're going to pay for that."

Suddenly Majora's left hand stretched into a tentacle and lashed out at Vaati. Vaati's large eye closed just in time, but Vaati was unable to prevent the tentacle wrapping around him. Majora then sent a burst of dark energy coursing down his arm and into Vaati's body. He then proceeded to swing Vaati over his shoulder into the opposite wall. Vaati slid to the floor, momentarily dazed. Majora reformed his hand and reactivated its wristblade. Vaati shook his head and glared venomously at his adversary as he mentally commanded the eyes to attack Majora's back. However, before they could do so, Majora whirled around and destroyed them all with a broad sweep of his hand. As he was turning around, though, he got a white-hot surprise to his face as Vaati hit him full-force with a wave of fire. Majora cried out in surprise as he backed off, giving Vaati some space as he frantically brushed off the small fires on his body.

Without giving Majora a chance to recover, Vaati hit him with more salvoes of fire energy, then topped it all off with a Razor Wind spell. The combined assault was enough to blast Majora into the wall, creating a large crater where he collided with the surface. Majora struggled to his feet. Sensing victory, Vaati made one final move, summoning up a great beam of energy from his eye and hitting Majora squarely in the chest. Majora screamed in pain and shock before a resounding explosion rocked the foundations of the cavern. When the dust settled, a hole had been carved into the wall, and on the other side was a large pile of rubble, Majora's unmoving wings still visible beneath the rocks.

With his enemy immobilized, Vaati allowed himself to return to his normal Hylian form. Seeing Robin and Buster huddled around Raven, Vaati sprinted over to them, kneeling down alongside them. "How is she?" he asked worriedly.

"She's still alive," Robin answered. "But she took a bad hit."

Vaati knew what to do. He uncorked another bottle of Red Potion and poured it down a barely-conscious Raven's mouth. She coughed slightly as she drank. Slowly the wound on her chest disappeared and her strength returned. As she blinked from the aftereffects, she stood up to face her companions…and was immediately engulfed by Vaati as they shared a passionate kiss in thankfulness of their mutual well-being. As he let go, Vaati whispered, "Don't scare me like that again."

"I'll try not to let it happen again," Raven answered, trying to maintain her snarky composure.

Meanwhile, Robin and Buster had gone over to the door and used their collective strength to force it open, and when they saw what was inside, Robin's face drained of color. There, lying before him, chained to the Obelisk of Earth, looking absolutely pathetic and helpless, was Starfire.

She was an absolute mess, her clothes torn in several places, her hair scraggly, and her body covered in bruises and scars. "My God…Starfire!" Robin uttered before rushing to her side and holding her in his arms. "Starfire! Can you hear me?"

Starfire's eyes slowly fluttered open and gazed at Robin. At once the hope in her eyes was rekindled as she saw the face of the man she loved staring worriedly down at her. "R…Robin?" she managed to whisper as she smiled weakly. "You came…back…for me…"

"Of course we did," came another voice before Robin could answer. "That's what friends are for, am I not correct?"

Everyone looked up to see Vaati strut into the chamber with another bottle of Red Potion handy. "Vaati…?" Starfire whispered as the mage shot a beam of energy at the chains with his free hands, freeing her from her connection to the Obelisk. This caused her manacles to detach from her wrists as well.

Vaati knelt at her side by Robin and uncorked the bottle. "Starfire, this is Red Potion. It will help you recover your strength and heal your wounds. Drink it."

Starfire seemed to understand as Vaati lowered the bottle to her lips and poured it down her throat. She coughed slightly as she swallowed and widened her eyes in surprise at the potion's effects as her strength returned. As her head cleared, the magnitude of what she had been forced to go through hit her full-force, and she burst into tears and held Robin tight, sobbing hysterically. "Oh, Robin! It was so horrible!" she stuttered in between sobs. "He…did terrible things to me! The tentacles…the tentacles…"

Robin just held tight, comforting her as best he could. What Majora had done to her was unforgivable. What he felt towards that masked fiend in the few minutes he'd known him was more hateful than in all the years he had known Slade. Starfire meant more to him than anything, and the knowledge that she had been alone with that _monster_ for so long filled him with such sorrow that he felt tears trickle down his face as well.

Vaati, Raven, and Buster all stood there quietly. Raven and Vaati understood perfectly well what it was like. After all, both of them were essentially the products of rape by demonic fathers. Vaati solemnly closed his eyes and hung his head low. Finally Buster spoke up somewhat timidly, "Perhaps we should get a move on? The others are still in trouble and…"

Vaati shot the Darknut a warning glance, but Robin looked up and said, "Yeah, I agree. C'mon, Starfire. The others are waiting for us."

Robin helped the Tameranean princess to her feet. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Starfire said, "Yes. I will not let Majora's cruelty stop me. I must be strong…I must prove him wrong."

Raven smiled and hugged Starfire in response. Vaati, despite himself, decided to join in, and then all were surprised as Buster wrapped his burly arms around them and lifted them all into the air in his own gesture of affection before letting them go. Starfire couldn't help but laugh, making everyone else smile as well. "Now come on," Vaati encouraged. "Let's get out of this goddess-forsaken place."

The heroes nodded reassuringly at each other before heading out of the cave. It wasn't until they were gone that the pile of rubble started to move. Slowly, the rocks gave way to Majora's terrible form. Staring at the entrance he knew they had left through, he casually brushed the dust and debris off his shoulders. "Yes, you go off and save your little friends," he hissed to himself. "But don't think this is the last you'll see of me. I'll just bide my time and wait until you dispatch Dethl. Once I've gathered enough strength, I'll show you all a REAL nightmare."

A pity indeed the heroes did not hear the maniacal laugh echo throughout the cave.


End file.
